Birds of a Feather Stick Together: Wingtalia
by 101stellastella
Summary: Alfred and his twin Matthew, after being attacked by hunters, were separated from their flock at a young age. After Mattie makes a shocking discovery that there are other people who have wings like his brother, the boys go on an adventure to rediscover their roots with help from the Nordics and many other characters. Keep an eye out for hints toward cannon material.
1. Chapter 1: Alfred leaves Matt hanging

Alfred scoured the mountain below him, searching frantically for his brother. Mattie was constantly sneaking out of the village and running over to the mountain. Al sighed. Mattie was convinced that there were other people like Alfred, but as far as Al was concerned, he was the only winged freak in existence.

Finally, he spotted Mattie dangling from a ledge, shouting for him. Al sighed. This mountain for some reason was covered in crevices, cliffs, and jutting ledges that covered the sides with only trees acting as foliage. Spreading his massive brown eagle-like wings, he dived down to Mattie and hovered next to him.

Mattie's face strained with effort to keep himself up. "A-Al...A little help here," he said, his face red. Al gave him an annoyed look. "You do realize that this is the third time this week, right? How many times have I told you to look before you step. You don't have wings to keep you from falling to your death. You're just lucky I've been able to help you each time," Al responded, crossing his arms and not moving to help him.

"I swore I saw something this time! I'm not making it up. There's someone up there! I promise this time Alfred that I didn't just see a bird!" he said. Alfred had to smile. Even if Mattie didn't have wings like he did, Mattie was always thinking of Alfred...to the point where he accidentally walks off a cliff doing something for him.

Alfred grabbed his brother's arm with both hands and flew him to safety. Due to misjudging the extra weight of his brother, instead of dropping his Matthew when it was safe for him to fall and landing nearby, Al accidentally let go and crashed into his brother.

"Omph. Sorry dude," he said. Mattie rolled his eyes and dusted himself off. He was used to Al's flying being a little shaky. But in Al's defence, he didn't have anyone to teach him how to fly and had to learn from trial and error, which basically amounted to Al climbing things and jumping off of them, hoping that this time he'll get it right. The village healer had a cot saved for him now.

Mattie looked around, blinking. "Al, you knocked my glasses off again. Help me find them," he said. Alfred grinned and started scanning the area around them. "What? No, 'Thanks for saving my life again'?" he said. Mattie sighed. "I'm sorry Al, but I swore I saw another bird-person like you," he said.

Al sighed. "Mattie...What do I have to do to convince you that I'm the only one? It's been 19 years. I'm sure if there were other people with wings flying around, I would have bumped into them. It's not like I can really hide these things," he said, gesturing to his massive wings, which measured up to a 17 ft wingspan.

Mattie sighed. He knew he sounded crazy to his twin. "There's your glasses. By that bush there," said Al, leading him to them. Mattie bent over and picked up the bushes. As he started to stand up he froze. "What's wrong dude?" Mattie held up a long white feather with a black tip. The only feather he's ever seen that long was Alfred's.

Alfred swallowed and glanced at the bush, which had mysteriously squeaked when they picked up the feather. Mattie shot forward and reached into the bush, pulling out a boy a bit older than they were with blond hair, brown eyes, a white buerret, and, oh, yeah, WINGS. Wings almost as big as Al's except they resembled those of a seagull instead that of an eagle.

Mattie looked at the man with shock before looking at Al triumphantly. "I told you I saw someone, bird-brain," he said to Alfred. Alfred didn't say anything. He was too busy staring at the man with his mouth wide open. After a few seconds, he finally managed to say, "Y-You have wings…"

The boy winced but nodded and tilted his head at Alfred. "So do you. But I haven't seen you on the mountain before...and what are you doing with a human?" said the boy, shying away from Matthew but staring in amazement. Al gave him a confused look, not knowing how to answer.

"We're from the village. I'm Matthew and this is my brother Alfred," offered Matthew softly, afraid to scare off the man. "Brothers? B-But you don't have wings," said the man, looking confused and a little less scared of Matthew. Alfred's wings sagged and Matthew looked confused. "Ah...No. Alfred is the only person we knew of having wings before we met you," said Mattie.

The boy's eyes widen. "What do you mean he's the only one? You two must have come from the mountain if you're brothers and he has wings," said Tino. Alfred's eyes widen as well as he finally realized what this all meant. "Y-You mean there's more of us? I-I'm not the only one with wings?!" he asked excitedly.

The man blinked before smiling and stretching his wings out a bit more. "Nope. There's tons of us. We all live up in the mountains. We just never let the humans see us because they try to hurt us." The boy glanced at Mattie and quickly smiled at him. "Though I'm sure you wouldn't hurt anyone. This is strange. I've never heard of a human and an avian being brothers...much less twins from the looks of it," said the boy.

Mattie gave Alfred an excited glance before someone shouted. A tall man with glasses and an intimidating look on his face came out of the forest, freezing when he saw Matthew. Without saying anything, the newcome jumped in front of the other avian and spread out huge dusty brown wings with darker brown tips, hiding the other man from view.

"G't aw'y from m' w'fe. Tino, g't 'elp," warned the new man in a low voice. Tino poked his head out from under one of the wings. "Berwald, they're brothers. They're not going to hurt us. They didn't know avians existed," he said. Berwald, the taller man, hummed and tucked his wings back behind his back.

Tino climbed out of the bush and rushed the brothers over to a fallen log. "So how could you not know there are others like us? Where are you from? Are you from another mountain perhaps?" asked Tino.

Alfred shook his head. "From the village in the valley. We're not allowed to go to the mountains. The elders say it's too dangerous, but Mattie kept sneaking out to see them because he was convinced that there were something up here the elders were hiding from us," he said.

Mattie grinned. "I told you so," he said. Alfred smiled and elbowed his brother. "Yeah Yeah. You're right. I'm never gonna hear the end of it, am I?" I asked. Mattie grinned and turned to Tino and Berwald. "We were found at the edges of the village near the forest that's between the village and this mountain. We're not sure what happened…" Mattie stopped when he saw Alfred's wings sag.

Tino noticed the twin trail off. "What's wrong?" Berwald shook his head at his companion and nodded it toward a few jagged, but faded, scars on the underside of Al's left wing. Tino's eyes widened. Noticing their gazes, Alfred shifted uncomfortably, some of his feathers raising due to irritation.

Tino held a hand to his mouth and jumped up to look at the scars more closely, keeping a distance from Al's wings. Without touching the wings, he looked up at Alfred. "How did this happen? These scars look old," he said. Alfred quickly tucked his wings behind his back where Tino couldn't look them over.

"N-None of your business," said Alfred defensively. Mattie rubbed the wing closest to him. Al relaxed a little at the comforting motion. "We don't know...When the villagers found us we were both beaten and cut up. We're not sure how we even got to the village. It's far away from any other villages," said Matthew, answering for his brother.

"I-I'm sorry I snapped...I don't like people inspecting my wings, much less touching them," mumbled Alfred. "'Course n't. W'ngs are 'pecial," said Berwald. Both Mattie and Alfred looked at them.

"Only family or people really close to you can touch your wings. It's a very intimate and personal thing to us. I've never dreamt that a human would be caught touching an avian's wings. We're always afraid that another person might harm our wings. In fact Berwald and my flock are the only ones who can touch my wings," said Tino.

Mattie shifted uncomfortably. "Why would you never dream of a human doing that?" he said. Al stretched his wings a little. "You guys got something against humans?" he asked defensively, not liking that they were outing Mattie. Tino held his hands up. "I've never met one before but we're warned of them from the time we're fledglings. "

"Why is that?" asked Matthew quietly. Tino and Berwald exchanged looks. "Well...sometimes human hunters come up the mountain and try to hurt us or worse. A lot of times they try to cut off our wings. They also like to steal fledglings from our nests…." Tino's eyes widened and he stared at the twins. The twins blinked. "Um...What's up?" asked Alfred.

"The hunters must have gone after you two! Even if Mattie was born without wings, they would have taken him just to say he was avian offspring! T-They probably were going to sell you in the village but got scared off by something," said Tino. "Scared off by something?" Alfred asked.

"Your parents perhaps." Tino spun around to Berwald. "Can we take them to the flock? They're obviously in the dark about their heritage. Maybe we can find away to return them to their flock!" said Tino. Berwald gave a short nod. "Lukas knows the other flocks well. He can spread the word that a couple of fledglings have returned!" said Tino.

Alfred raised a hand, feeling a little overwhelmed. "Whoa. Wait a minute. What do you mean return us to our flock? We have the village. Besides, if you two were hesitant about Mattie do we have any guarantee that the other..avians won't try to hurt him thinking he's a hunter?" he said.

Mattie rolled his eyes and tugged at Al's elbow. "I can take care of myself. I think we should do it. If we don't like our flock or find them, at least you can find out a bit more than yourself. Maybe they can even reach you how to fly!" said Mattie. Tino looked confused. "I thought he flew you over here." "I know how to fly! I-I just get distracted when I'm landing," said Al.

"'ow'd you learn ta fly?" asked Berwald. "Falling and crashing a lot." "Trial and error," said Mattie and Alfred respectively. Mattie gave Alfred a grin as Alfred scowled at him. "I watched how the birds flew and jumped off of stuff until I got a hang of it. I'm not bad at flying," said Alfred. "Al, you broke your ankles, one of your legs, and your wrist," said Mattie.

"Still better at flying than you!" shot back Alfred. "Are you sure cuz you have a tendency to fall out of the sky," said Mattie. They started arguing and Tino cut in, looking slightly amused.

"We'll be happy to give you some tips Alfred. And if you want to return to your village or work something out with your flock, that's up to you. We're not going to force you to do anything. It's not even guaranteed we'll find your flock if the hunters that were after you got to them," said Tino gently.

Alfred's eyes widened at that and Mattie's face fell slightly. "But we'll try our best! That is if you want us to look," reassured Tino. The twins nodded at the same time. Tino smiled and he and Berwald stood up. "We'll take you back to our flock. Let us fly in first though. Most flocks are testy around newcomers. Can you carry Matthew?" asked Tino.

Alfred glanced at his brother. "Your arms too sore?" he asked. Mattie quietly shook his head. "I can carry him," said Al backing up toward the ledge. Matthew sighed. "Al, no tricks please. Remember last time?"

Alfred gave him a grinned before falling backwards off the cliff. "You're brother's a bit of a show boat huh?" asked Tino. Mattie let out another sigh and nodded. Berwald nodded. "Just like Mathias," he said before following Tino off the ledge.

Alfred shot up over the ledge. Matthew sighed and raised up his arm. Alfred dived toward him and quickly grabbed Matthew's wrist with both his hands, hauling him up in the air with him. "Wow! You're strong. Not many avians can carrying another person with them when they fly. Especially someone their own size!" said Tino. Alfred grinned and trailed after him and Berwald, the three of them forming a 'v' with Berwald up front.

Mattie looked at the ground rushing below him, acres of forest covering the side of the mountain. He wasn't the least bit worried about the height. Alfred has been flying him around ever since Al was able to build up the strength in his wings to do so. The only downside was that his armpits started to ache after a while.


	2. Chapter 2: Meet the Nordics

As they flew, both twins were able to spot other avians as they got closer to Tino and Berwald's flock. "We're going to land on that plateau over there," shouted Tino, pointing at a nearby ledge. Alfred nodded. "Mattie, you hear that? I'll wait until they land before I drop you okay?" he said. His brother nodded.

Berwald landed first, quickly followed by Tino. Alfred dropped Matthew next to Tino before landing, stumbling into a rocky wall as he did so. Tino smiled. "Our nest is over here," he said, starting to walk away. Mattie quickly helped Alfred up and they followed their guides to an alcove carved into the side of rock.

Two avians were sitting among the edges of the alcove. "Lukas! Emil! We have guests!" said Tino. The taller one with the clip in his light blonde hair immediately grabbed a rock while the younger one shot back and pressed himself against the back wall, distancing himself from the forming fight. The older one with large, white with light brown-streaked wings raised his arm, aiming for Matthew.

Berwald quickly stretched a wing in front of the twins. "N't enemies," he said. The man with the rock raised an eyebrow before lowering his arm. "You brought a human and a strange avian to our nest? Please tell me it wasn't Mathias's idea," he said. The other, whose wings was similar to the man with the rock but had black streaks instead, didn't say anything, just shifted closer to his brother.

Berwald lowered his wings while Tino quickly explained. "They were taken off the mountains by hunters when they were young. Berwald and I want to help them find their flock and learn more about avians. The man looked at the two of them, silently.

After a few seconds of staring at the twins, especially Matthew, he spoke. "I'm Lukas. This is my little brother Emil. We'll help you find your old flock, but until then I guess you can stay with us," he said. "Just have to catch Mathias before he tries to brain them," said Emil dryly.

Tino grinned. "Great! Berwald and I are going to go finish hunting. Matthew and Alfred, you two can go ahead and make yourself comfortable." His eyes widen as his grin got wider. "We'll show you how to hunt tomorrow. I'm sure you haven't done it before the way we do!" With that, he left with Berwald silently trailing after him.

Matthew shifted uncomfortably as the other two avians stared at him. Alfred, on the other hand, gave them a big grin. "So there really are more people with wings. I always thought that it was just me," he said. Lukas tilted his head. "Why would you think that? Where were you raised?" he asked, having them sit down at a ring of stones in the middle of the alcove.

"The village in the valley...They found us on the edge of a farm and took us in," said Mattie quietly. "Hmm. I would have thought a flock from another mountain range might have taken you in. No wonder Tino and Berwald want to help you so much. What do you remember of your flock?" asked Emil.

Alfred's face fell. "Another mountain range?" he asked. Lukas nodded. "There's a lot more of us than we care to let anyone know. We tend to keep ourselves secluded to protect ourselves from other flocks and hunters," said Lukas.

"Why would you need to protect yourselves from other flocks?" asked Mattie. "Territory. We may look like humans, but we have a close connection to animals and nature. Because of how important it is to keep strangers out of our territory because of the hunters, flocks often get into fights with each other," explained Lukas.

Matthew looked as deflated as his brother. "So there's a very slim chance we'll find our family then, huh?" he asked. "You can always find a new flock. That's what most avians do," said Emil with a shrug, leaning back on a rock. The twins gave them another confused look.

Emil huffed. "After you hit a certain age, most avians decide for themselves who they want as flock members. We leave the nest and find a new one," he says. Lukas ruffled his brother's hair. "Emil decided to join his big brother's flock," he said. Emi's face flushed and he squirmed out of his brother's reach. "I just didn't feel like trying to make new friends," he said.

Mattie and Alfred stifled a grin for Emil's sake. "We're not sure that's really an option for us," said Mattie hesitantly, feeling guilty at possibly costing his brother a flock due to his winglessness. Alfred brushed a wing gently against his brother, eliciting a small smile.

Norway sighed. "Tino and Berwald have taken a liking to you and I suppose you two aren't too irritating. If you can't find your flock, I suppose we can take you in if you don't want to return to your village," he said.

"R-Really?" asked Mattie. Alfred was practically bouncing up and down with excitement. "That'd be so cool!" he said. Emil sighed. "Great. Now we have two hyper people in our flock. As if Mathias wasn't enough to deal with," he said. "Who's Mathias?" asked Alfred. "An idiot," said Lukas, not elaborating.

"So when can we start looking for our family? Not that we want to rush you or anything!" said Matthew, adding the last part quickly. Lukas paused as he thought it over. "How long ago were you guys found?" he asked. The twins looked at each other. "Fifty years ago..." said Matthew slowly.

Lukas quietly stared at the two of them while Emil silently watched, not finding their ages as odd. "But you two were found together….Hmm. Two fledglings making their way back to the mountain after five years is rare. A human and an avian being brothers, and it's obvious from your looks you're twins, is even rarer," he said.

Matthew shifted uncomfortably and looked down, his face looking cloudy. Alfred quickly jumped in. "Is there any chance that our parents were a bird-guy and a human?" he asked. Lukas shook his head. "I haven't heard of many occurrences of that happening. It is very unlikely," he said.

Emil looked at his brother then at Matthew before his eyes slightly widened. "You think…?" Mattie stood up and rushed out of the alcove with shaking balled up fists. Alfred swore, getting up and chasing after his brother.

Alfred lost his brother for a second but heard someone cry out from near the ledge behind the alcove. Al's eyes widen and he went around the stone wall to find an avian with spiky blond hair and charcoal wings holding his arm to Mattie's throat, pinning him. "How did you get so close to our nest? Did you hurt my flock?" he demanded of a panicking Matthew.

Alfred growled and jumped forward, throwing his wings out and tackling the strange man. The man underneath him started to struggle before blinking. "Wait...You have wings? Why didn't you say so? How'd you hide them so well?" he asked. Matthew cleared his throat, shuffling a little. "That's my brother actually…" he said quietly.

The man's eyes widen. Emil and Lukas came running out, having heard shouting. Lukas sighed. "Mathias, of all times to show up? This is Alfred and his brother Matthew. Alfred, Matthew, this is the idiot we were telling you about," he said. Alfred got up and offered him a hand. "Oh. Sorry dude. Hope I didn't hurt your wings," he said.

Mathias gave him a wide grin. "Don't worry! Sorry I attacked your brother. Are you two looking for a flock to join? If so we're happy to have you!" he said. "It's a long story," huffed Norway, already leading the group back to their little niche in the mountain. As they walked, Alfred and Matthew quickly filled Mathias in.

When they walked into the alcove, they found Tino and Berwald with a basket full of fish. "Oh good Mathias! You met Alfred and Matthew. Have they filled you in on their search for a flock?" asked Tino. Mathias grinned. "Yeah. I told them that I wouldn't mind if they wanted to join ours when all is said and done!" said Mathias happily.

 **Sorry this chapter is short. I couldn't find a good way to cut it off so I could start the next chapter with some drama. Stick around to find out how the boys were found**


	3. Ch 3: How to Not Make A First Impression

Lukas nodded. "Emil and I said so as well," he said. Tino grinned. "Great! We'll still help you find your family as much as we can. Where should we start? It'd help if you told us a bit more of how you were found."

Matthew shuffled a little. He and Al seemed to be having a conversation with their eyes, Alfred's feathers getting slightly ruffled. After a few seconds, it seems like the two finally came to a conclusion. Alfred shuffled closer to his brother, a wing brushing his brother's back.

Matthew shifted again uncomfortably, turning to face the other avians. "T-Tino, y-you mentioned earlier t-that hunters would go after avians to cut off their wings r-right?" The other avian's eyes widened and Mattie fidgeted a bit, his voice shaking.

"W-Well...when the villagers found us m-my b-back was covered in blood...T-The farmers that found us s-scared off the hunters right as they were starting to h-hurt Alfred. W-When they saw us they t-took us in because we were so little. It happened a really long time ago," said Matthew, quivering a little.

The other avians were pale as they stared at the twins. Alfred, not liking the silence and not sure if this will change how the other avians thought of them, balled up his fist. One of his wings wrapped around Matthew and the other stretched out tensely as if he was about to jump into a fight.

Tino was the first one to speak, covering his mouth. "I-I'm so sorry that happened to you boys!" He rushed forward to give Matthew a hug. Mathias was scowling. "Whoever did that was uncool. We should find them and beat them up," he said. Berwald nodded. Emil sighed. "It sucks but we can't go hunting people down Mathias."

Lukas looked at Matthew. "Then that means you're an avian as well...just as I suspected. That doesn't change anything. You may still have some of our abilities even if you don't have wings," he said. "Abilities? What abilities?" asked Matthew at the same time Alfred bounced up and down. "What? Like super strength or laser vision? That would be awesome!" said his twin.

Mathias grinned. "No silly, though that would be cool. Avians have the ability to heal each other or create bonds with each other. But we are harder to hurt than humans are and we are stronger than them," he said. "We can expl'n," offered Berwald.

"Before we do that, I'm going to contact the flocks I remember that lost fledglings around the time you two were found. Emil, would Mr. Puffin be willing to take the message?" said Lukas. Emil crossed his arms. "I suppose, but we'll have to save a fish for him as a reward," he said. "Who's Mr. Puffin?" asked Matthew.

Emil sighed. "Avians are close to nature. We can communicate with certain animals and if we get close enough to an animal, we can bond with them. The bond with animals is different than other bonds. With the animals, it allows us to call them to us and ask them for favors. They can also feel it if we're in distress. In exchange, they age like we do," he said, going to the ledge and whistling.

A puffin bird flew to him, landing on his shoulder. Emil gestured to the bird. "This is Mr. Puffin. Puffin, Lukas needs you to tell all the nearby flocks that two fledglings that went missing about fifty years ago have returned," he said. The bird sighed and tilted his head. "We'll save you a fish," offered Emil. The bird affectionately pecked his ear before flapping his wings and flying off.

"How did you bond with it?" asked Matthew, ignoring Alfred's rambling about superpowers. Emil sighed and shifted a little, not used to being the center of attention. "After Avians are born, sometimes their parents abandon them to find a flock. Mr. Puffin took care of me until Lukas found me and brought me to his own flock. After a certain age, you can either stay with that flock or find another one," said Emil.

"That's why you think it'd be hard to find our parents," said Alfred. Lukas nodded. "But you two may have been found by a flock if you didn't have a bond with an animal yet. Usually an animal takes care of a fledgling until it's found. I can sense that you two are bound to each other...but there's something else there as well. It could be that you two never officially bonded to your caretakers," he said.

Alfred raised a hand. "Can you explain this bond thing please?" he asked. "It's why only family, lovers, or really close friends can touch each other's wings," offered Matthias. The twins gave him blank stares. Lukas sighed and gestured that they sit down as Mathias and Berwald started preparing the fish.

"When you share a bond with another person, they can sense your extreme emotions and when you're in distress, in some rare cases, they can even sense your thoughts and even rarer, any pain you may be in. You two would have a slightly different version of this bond due to being twins. I'm not sure how much that would work. There's other details, but we can go over them later.

"We're able to use this bond to find each other or, if needed, send some of our own strength and energy to our bond-mate to heal them. You don't need to be bonded at the time you attempt to heal someone, but if there wasn't a bond before healing someone there's one by the end of the healing. The bond is a way that we protect each other and ourselves from harm," said Lukas.

"So if we were bonded with whoever was looking over us when we were kids, they'd have been able to find us? Why wouldn't they have bonded with us?" asked Matthew. "Some people build the bond over time to get used to the idea. It may have also been that you weren't with them for very long. It's harder to form bonds with children," said Tino.

The twins thanked them for the fish they were offered. "Do you guys remember anything about who took care of you before you were found?" asked Emil. Mattie and Alfred thought about this, Alfred's wings slightly shifting. "I remember people with accents different than our own. One was french," said Mattie. "The other was English," said Alfred.

Lukas raised an eyebrow. "What else do you remember?" he asked. "Eyebrows," said both twins at once. Mathias grinned and leaned forward excitedly. "That sounds like that other mage you're friends with Lukas. What's his name? Arthur?" he said. The boys' eyes widened. Alfred started bouncing up and down excitedly. Mattie froze.

Lukas hummed affirmatively. "It does sound like Arthur and Francis. They did have a couple of fledgling go missing...but we can't be absolutely sure it's them. I don't want to get your hopes up though. Arthur had been using his magic to try to find his fledglings for years. He's a good mage. It could be that they aren't your original flock," he said.

"What's a mage?" asked Alfred, not settling down any. Mattie rolled his eyes and put a hand on his twin's knee before he tried to take off. "A mage is an avian who can sense and manipulate the life energy of other avians and nature. There only three mages. Arthur, Vlad, he lives in the closest mountain range in the east, and myself," said Lukas.

"Is there anyway you can tell if we're from their flocks?" asked Matthew. Lukas shook his head. "They'd have to be here for me to be able to try to figure that out," he said. Tino gave them a reassuring smile. "I'm sure if they think you might be from their flock, they'll come and we can find out then," said Tino.

"What are Arthur and Francis like?" asked Alfred, not quite letting go of the idea that this might be their flock. "Francis is nice but he spends too much time trying to play matchmaker," said Emil a bit bitterly. "I thought you liked Miss Lilli. He was right in setting you two up," said Mathias. Emil's cheeks got red.

"Arthur is a nice and polite guy. He prides himself on being a gentleman but he's a force to be reckon with if he thinks his flock is in danger. One time this avian named Antonio started trying to hunt in the same territory Arthur was and they bumped heads a few times. They're friendly now though, because Antonio is friends with Francis," said Tino.

Alfred nodded. "How long until Mr. Puffin comes back?" he asked. "Later tonight or in the morning," said Emil. "Earlier, you guys said something about the animals aging like we do," said Matthew. Lukas nodded. "We age differently than humans. We tend to stay in our twenties or thirties for quite a long time and age slowly," he said.

"How long is a long time?" asked Alfred. "There's an avian, his name is Yao, who has been in his late twenties for four or five thousand years. Everyone ages differently and according to circumstance. Sometimes they come to us mages to have them stop aging at a certain age," said Lukas with a shrug. Matthew and Alfred's jaws dropped.

"I didn't know we were immortal," said Alfred. Lukas shook his head. "We can die or be killed. We haven't exactly figured out how that works. It's not too big of a deal. To be honest, I'm not entirely sure if Yao is telling the truth. He sells healing herbs to other flocks so it might just be a scam," he said.

"How old are you?" asked Matthew. Lukas shrugged. "A little over a thousand years old. Mathias and Berwald are older than I am," he said. Both boys stared at him with wide eyes. Mathias grinned. "Don't looked so stunned. I'm sure you two are older than you look too. The first few decades of our lives are harder to remember because we're so young," he said.

The twins opened their mouths to ask another question but a small canary flew in, peeping as they did so. The small bird flew around Mathias's head. "Oh hey Gilbird! Did Gilbert send a message with you?" asked Mathias, holding a finger out for the bird to land on. Gilbird chirped happily and Mathias nodded.

"Gilbird says Gilbert is planning on dropping by tomorrow to see the new fledglings," said Mathias with a grin. Tino sighed. "He's still looking for Johann after all these centuries. I suppose it's okay if he behaves himself," he said. Mathias nodded, his face growing a little more serious. He muttered something to Gilbird who immediately flew away when he was done.

"Who's Gilbert?" asked Matthew. "One of my best friends. He's pretty awesome but not as cool as I am," said Mathias. "He lost younger brother a few centuries ago in a freak snow storm. He's convinced a hunter took his brother during the storm because he was "too awesome" to die in a snowstorm and there wasn't a body found," said Lukas.

Alfred and Matthew were quite at that. "That sucks," said Alfred. Tino looked outside to the sky. "It's getting dark out. We should all get some sleep. Alfred, Matthew, you two can sleep over here. Let us know if you two need anything," he said kindly. The boys thanked him and laid down in the sleeping space indicated.

 **In case you're wondering, the little brother Gilbert lost in a snowstorm was the Holy Roman Empire. I'm planning on getting as many cameos from all our favorite countries in here as much as possible** **without forcing any of their appearances. I'm planning on weaving as much cannon material as possible into the story so points go to anyone who can spot some of the more hidden details.**


	4. Chapter 4: Bird-Boy Opens His Fat Trap

**Somewhere on a different mountain.**

Francis and Arthur were standing in a creek, fishing, when Mr. Puffin flew down and landed on Arthur's shoulder. The sudden appearance of the bid startled Francis and caused him to drop the fish he just caught. "Oh crap my fish!" said Francis. "It's from Lukas and his flock," said Arthur, recognizing the bird.

"Does he need your help with another spell?" asked Francis, his brown, white, and blue feathers trailing in the water. "If you would be quiet for a half second I could hear what he's trying to say!" said Arthur, ignoring Francis. Francis rolled his eyes and went back to his fishing.

Arthur's eyes widened as he listened to the bird and fluttered his wings, splashing Francis. "Sacre bleu! Would you watch your feathers? I'm all wet!" said Francis, flapping his wings to get the moisture off of them. "T-The boys," stuttered Arthur. Francis looked at him, slightly confused. "What boys? The nordics? Nothing happened to them, right?"

Arthur shook his head, still for the most part frozen in place. "T-Two fledglings that went missing fiftty years ago returned. T-They're looking for their old flock," Arthur somehow managed to say in his shock. Francis turned to face his friend. "What?!"

Mr. Puffin rolled his eyes and squaked at Francis. His eyes widened and he put a hand to his mouth. "Y-You think it's our boys?" he asked. Arthur numbly nodded, his light grey wings dragging in the creek. "I-I can't believe it. I tried so hard to find them. I thought they were dead. After all those years…" trailed Arthur. Francis put a hand on his shoulder.

"Mon cher, you're getting too ahead of yourself. They might not even be our boys. I don't want you to get your hopes up and be disappointed," he said. Arthur nodded. "I suppose you're right...but I still want to go see these fledglings. I-I don't want to risk losing them again if they really are ours," he said. Francis nodded.

"Do you think they aged at all all these years?" asked Arthur. Francis gave him a sad smile. "I hope not. They were so cute before they left. But if they are our boys and they did age, we'll love them despite it, oui?" said Francis.

Arthur nodded and sighed. "We better finish fishing and prepare for the trip. I want to get there in the morning. I'll bring the feather with us. Maybe my tracking spell will finally work if we're closer," he said. Francis smiled and nodded, stretching out his wings. "Race you back to the nest?" he asked. Arthur rolled his eyes but stretched his own wings and raced him back.

 **The next day**

Matthew woke up the next day to a mouthful of feathers. Wrinking his nose, he spat them out, aware that his brother has let him use his wings as a blanket. Alfred mumbled something in his sleep, shifting the wing that was over Matthew. Mattie sighed and did his best to wiggle out from other the wing without waking up his twin.

Berwald, Emil, and Mathias were already up. "Morning Matthew! How'd you sleep?" whispered Mathias. "Good, thank you," he said, noticing that they were eating some fruits he's never seen before. They passed him some. "These only grow on the mountains," explained Mathias when he asked.

Matthew noticed that they kept glancing at Tino and Lukas. "What's wrong?" he asked, concerned. "Tino and Lukas aren't really morning people," said Mathias. "What do you mean? I'm sure it's not too bad," said Matthew. "One time Mathias forgot to make the coffee for them before they woke up. They nearly mauled him so it's pretty bad," said Emil, taking a sip of said coffee.

"We 've to wake 'em up soon," said Berwald. Mathias and Emil froze. "Can't we let them sleep in?" asked Mathias. Berwald shook his head. "Gilbert will be 'ere soon," he said. Mathias pointed at Emil. "Have him do it. Lukas can never hit his little bror," said Mathias. Emil glared at him. "No." Mathias gave him a puppy-dog look. "Please Emil." Emil sighed.

"I'll do it but you owe me," he said, standing up and walking over to his brother. They all turned to watch, Emil glared at them once more before shaking Lukas's shoulder. "B-Big Brother? Bror, it's time to wake up," he said, his face turning a bit red. Lukas groaned. "Go away," he growled.

"Please Big Brother?" said Emil, purposely not looking at the grinning Mathias. Lukas mumbled something and slowly sat up, stretching his wings. "Fine. Where's my coffee?" asked Lukas. Emil immediately handed him a cup and backed away quickly, turning to Tino. He made a face and ruffled some of his feathers.

Tino swatted Emil's hand away with a growl. Lukas scowled. "Tino, you know better than to hit Emil," he said in a low voice. Tino stirred and sat up. "He knows better than to mess with my feathers," he growled. Matthew blinked. Tino was usually so cheerful but this body-snatcher seemed rearing for a fight.

Berwald silently handed Tino some coffee. Tino sipped it and sat next to Lukas, both of them sitting in the darkest part of the cave glaring at everyone. Matthew got up and walked over to Alfred. "Alfred, time to get up," he said. Alfred swatted him away with a wing. Matthew rolled his eyes and stuck a cold hand on his back between his wings.

Alfred yelped and sat up, his wings shooting out and pushing Mattie away. "Again dude? That's the third time this week!" he said. Matthew crossed his arms. "Gilbert should be coming any minute. Hurry up and get some breakfast before he gets here," he said. Alfred made a face at his twin but did as he asked.

When everyone was a little bit more awake and less ready to kill each other, ahem, Tino and Lukas, Lukas stretched his wings. "Matthew, don't leave the cave without one of us near you. There'll be a lot of avians coming who don't know you're not a human. Make sure one of us is with you so we can intervene before something happens. Alfred, you shouldn't stray too far away either. You're still a stranger to them as well." Both twins nodded.

After everyone was finished with breakfast, Berwald and Emil left to do some hunting to prepare for the amount of guests the flock was expecting. Alfred sat down next to Matthew, stretching out his wings.

"What you up to?" asked his twin, trying to stay out of the way of the others. Alfred looked over his wings. "Preening my wings...I don't want anyone thinking I don't take care of them," he said. Matthew smiled a little, feeling a bit better that his brother seemed nervous about all of this too.

Alfred's fingers fluttered among the feathers on his wings, expertly readjusting the feathers. "Need some help?" asked Matthew. Alfred nodded and stretched out his other wing so his brother could help. Matthew smiled sadly as he fixed his brother's feathers. He didn't mind helping his brother preen, it's something he has always loved doing as a kid since he didn't have his own feathers. He just wished he hadn't lost his wings.

Alfred gave his brother a hesitant smile. "I'm sorry you had to tell them...You're not holding me back or what ever it is you're thinking. I don't want to be in a flock if you're not in it bro," he said, reading his twin's mind. Matthew smiled, careful with the feathers near the small scars on Al's wings. "I just don't want to always be dragging you down," he said quietly.

Alfred put a hand on his shoulder. "Dude, you don't drag me down. If anything, you keep me from being any stupider than I already am, and that's saying something," he said, grinning. Mattie grinned back. "That's for sure," he said, ducking as a wing attempted to hit him.

Alfred grinned and went back to preening. Matthew finished up the wing and took a step back as Alfred quickly shook out his wings. "Thanks Mattie," he said. Matthew nodded and turned as he heard chirping. The yellow canary, Gilbird, flew in with an albino with shockingly white wings and red eyes fly in.

"The awesome me is here! Mathias, I brought more of the mead my brother makes with me. Where are the fledglings?" he asked. He looked around and saw Matthew, freezing. Then his wings shot out. Gilbird, sensing his owner's sudden tension, flew around Matthew's head, pecking him.

Matthew tried to gently push the bird away, not wanting to hurt it. Alfred frowned and quickly jumped in front of Gilbert from the small perch he and Mattie were on. Gilbert blinked and looked back and forth between the twins. "You two are brothers?" he asked. Alfred nodded. "Mind calling off your bird dude?" asked Alfred.

Gilbert whistled and the bird came back. "Sorry about that. Gilbird is quick to defend his awesome owner," he said. Lukas rolled his eyes, not moving to greet Gilbert. Mathias jumped down. "You have mead?" he asked excitedly. Gilbert held up a skin sack. "Yep! Who are these two losers?" he asked.

"This is Alfred and Mattie. They're the two looking for their flock," said Tino happily. Mattie carefully climbed down from the perch before jumping down when it was safe. Gilbert raised an eyebrow. "Is he a loser human or did he just lose his wings?" he asked. Mattie froze while Alfred tensed up.

"He lost his wings Gilbert. Be nice," said Mathias before Alfred could start a fight. Gilbert snorted. "That sucks. So what? Your brother just lugs you everywhere? How did you even lose them?" asked Gilbert. Matthew shifted uncomfortably, looking down."Gilbert, you're not being very nice. You should apologize," said Tino.

"For what?" asked Gilbert, genuinely confused. "I'm too awesome to apologize to these losers. The wingless-wonder should be happy that I called off Gilbird," he said. Alfred grabbed Gilbert by the shirt, his wings stretched out with all the feathers standing on edge.

"Take that back and apologize!" he growled to the albino. Gilbert slightly flapped his wings a couple of times, glaring at the American. "Why should I? I was only asking a question," he said. Alfred glared at the other avian, about to pull his arm back when Tino jumped in.

"Gilbert, that was uncalled for," said Tino, frowning as he got between the two. There was a shuffling sound and they all turned to see a flash of Mattie as he left the cave. Alfred frowned. "Mattie. Mattie!" he called, tucking his wings in. Gilbert frowned at a faint line about five inches long at the edge of Alfred's wings.

"What happened to your wings?" he asked as Alfred started to walk after his brother. Alfred stopped and turned, giving Gilbert a look of disgust. "Hunters. I'm just lucky I got to keep my wings. I guess this flock business was just a stupid idea," he said before turning around and running after Matthew.

 **Sorry I kinda made Gil out to be a jerk in this chapter but *shrugs* it is what it is. Just wait for when Artie and Francis find out about it.**


	5. Chapter 5: Gilbert Screws Up Everything

**Somewhere on a different mountain.**

Francis and Arthur were standing in a creek, fishing, when Mr. Puffin flew down and landed on Arthur's shoulder. The sudden appearance of the bid startled Francis and caused him to drop the fish he just caught. "Oh crap my fish!" said Francis. "It's from Lukas and his flock," said Arthur, recognizing the bird.

"Does he need your help with another spell?" asked Francis, his brown, white, and blue feathers trailing in the water. "If you would be quiet for a half second I could hear what he's trying to say!" said Arthur, ignoring Francis. Francis rolled his eyes and went back to his fishing.

Arthur's eyes widened as he listened to the bird and fluttered his wings, splashing Francis. "Sacre bleu! Would you watch your feathers? I'm all wet!" said Francis, flapping his wings to get the moisture off of them. "T-The boys," stuttered Arthur. Francis looked at him, slightly confused. "What boys? The nordics? Nothing happened to them, right?"

Arthur shook his head, still for the most part frozen in place. "T-Two fledglings that went missing fiftty years ago returned. T-They're looking for their old flock," Arthur somehow managed to say in his shock. Francis turned to face his friend. "What?!"

Mr. Puffin rolled his eyes and squaked at Francis. His eyes widened and he put a hand to his mouth. "Y-You think it's our boys?" he asked. Arthur numbly nodded, his light grey wings dragging in the creek. "I-I can't believe it. I tried so hard to find them. I thought they were dead. After all those years…" trailed Arthur. Francis put a hand on his shoulder.

"Mon cher, you're getting too ahead of yourself. They might not even be our boys. I don't want you to get your hopes up and be disappointed," he said. Arthur nodded. "I suppose you're right...but I still want to go see these fledglings. I-I don't want to risk losing them again if they really are ours," he said. Francis nodded.

"Do you think they aged at all all these years?" asked Arthur. Francis gave him a sad smile. "I hope not. They were so cute before they left. But if they are our boys and they did age, we'll love them despite it, oui?" said Francis.

Arthur nodded and sighed. "We better finish fishing and prepare for the trip. I want to get there in the morning. I'll bring the feather with us. Maybe my tracking spell will finally work if we're closer," he said. Francis smiled and nodded, stretching out his wings. "Race you back to the nest?" he asked. Arthur rolled his eyes but stretched his own wings and raced him back.

 **The next day**

Matthew woke up the next day to a mouthful of feathers. Wrinking his nose, he spat them out, aware that his brother has let him use his wings as a blanket. Alfred mumbled something in his sleep, shifting the wing that was over Matthew. Mattie sighed and did his best to wiggle out from other the wing without waking up his twin.

Berwald, Emil, and Mathias were already up. "Morning Matthew! How'd you sleep?" whispered Mathias. "Good, thank you," he said, noticing that they were eating some fruits he's never seen before. They passed him some. "These only grow on the mountains," explained Mathias when he asked.

Matthew noticed that they kept glancing at Tino and Lukas. "What's wrong?" he asked, concerned. "Tino and Lukas aren't really morning people," said Mathias. "What do you mean? I'm sure it's not too bad," said Matthew. "One time Mathias forgot to make the coffee for them before they woke up. They nearly mauled him so it's pretty bad," said Emil, taking a sip of said coffee.

"We 've to wake 'em up soon," said Berwald. Mathias and Emil froze. "Can't we let them sleep in?" asked Mathias. Berwald shook his head. "Gilbert will be 'ere soon," he said. Mathias pointed at Emil. "Have him do it. Lukas can never hit his little bror," said Mathias. Emil glared at him. "No." Mathias gave him a puppy-dog look. "Please Emil." Emil sighed.

"I'll do it but you owe me," he said, standing up and walking over to his brother. They all turned to watch, Emil glared at them once more before shaking Lukas's shoulder. "B-Big Brother? Bror, it's time to wake up," he said, his face turning a bit red. Lukas groaned. "Go away," he growled.

"Please Big Brother?" said Emil, purposely not looking at the grinning Mathias. Lukas mumbled something and slowly sat up, stretching his wings. "Fine. Where's my coffee?" asked Lukas. Emil immediately handed him a cup and backed away quickly, turning to Tino. He made a face and ruffled some of his feathers.

Tino swatted Emil's hand away with a growl. Lukas scowled. "Tino, you know better than to hit Emil," he said in a low voice. Tino stirred and sat up. "He knows better than to mess with my feathers," he growled. Matthew blinked. Tino was usually so cheerful but this body-snatcher seemed rearing for a fight.

Berwald silently handed Tino some coffee. Tino sipped it and sat next to Lukas, both of them sitting in the darkest part of the cave glaring at everyone. Matthew got up and walked over to Alfred. "Alfred, time to get up," he said. Alfred swatted him away with a wing. Matthew rolled his eyes and stuck a cold hand on his back between his wings.

Alfred yelped and sat up, his wings shooting out and pushing Mattie away. "Again dude? That's the third time this week!" he said. Matthew crossed his arms. "Gilbert should be coming any minute. Hurry up and get some breakfast before he gets here," he said. Alfred made a face at his twin but did as he asked.

When everyone was a little bit more awake and less ready to kill each other, ahem, Tino and Lukas, Lukas stretched his wings. "Matthew, don't leave the cave without one of us near you. There'll be a lot of avians coming who don't know you're not a human. Make sure one of us is with you so we can intervene before something happens. Alfred, you shouldn't stray too far away either. You're still a stranger to them as well." Both twins nodded.

After everyone was finished with breakfast, Berwald and Emil left to do some hunting to prepare for the amount of guests the flock was expecting. Alfred sat down next to Matthew, stretching out his wings.

"What you up to?" asked his twin, trying to stay out of the way of the others. Alfred looked over his wings. "Preening my wings...I don't want anyone thinking I don't take care of them," he said. Matthew smiled a little, feeling a bit better that his brother seemed nervous about all of this too.

Alfred's fingers fluttered among the feathers on his wings, expertly readjusting the feathers. "Need some help?" asked Matthew. Alfred nodded and stretched out his other wing so his brother could help. Matthew smiled sadly as he fixed his brother's feathers. He didn't mind helping his brother preen, it's something he has always loved doing as a kid since he didn't have his own feathers. He just wished he hadn't lost his wings.

Alfred gave his brother a hesitant smile. "I'm sorry you had to tell them...You're not holding me back or what ever it is you're thinking. I don't want to be in a flock if you're not in it bro," he said, reading his twin's mind. Matthew smiled, careful with the feathers near the small scars on Al's wings. "I just don't want to always be dragging you down," he said quietly.

Alfred put a hand on his shoulder. "Dude, you don't drag me down. If anything, you keep me from being any stupider than I already am, and that's saying something," he said, grinning. Mattie grinned back. "That's for sure," he said, ducking as a wing attempted to hit him.

Alfred grinned and went back to preening. Matthew finished up the wing and took a step back as Alfred quickly shook out his wings. "Thanks Mattie," he said. Matthew nodded and turned as he heard chirping. The yellow canary, Gilbird, flew in with an albino with shockingly white wings and red eyes fly in.

"The awesome me is here! Mathias, I brought more of the mead my brother makes with me. Where are the fledglings?" he asked. He looked around and saw Matthew, freezing. Then his wings shot out. Gilbird, sensing his owner's sudden tension, flew around Matthew's head, pecking him.

Matthew tried to gently push the bird away, not wanting to hurt it. Alfred frowned and quickly jumped in front of Gilbert from the small perch he and Mattie were on. Gilbert blinked and looked back and forth between the twins. "You two are brothers?" he asked. Alfred nodded. "Mind calling off your bird dude?" asked Alfred.

Gilbert whistled and the bird came back. "Sorry about that. Gilbird is quick to defend his awesome owner," he said. Lukas rolled his eyes, not moving to greet Gilbert. Mathias jumped down. "You have mead?" he asked excitedly. Gilbert held up a skin sack. "Yep! Who are these two losers?" he asked.

"This is Alfred and Mattie. They're the two looking for their flock," said Tino happily. Mattie carefully climbed down from the perch before jumping down when it was safe. Gilbert raised an eyebrow. "Is he a loser human or did he just lose his wings?" he asked. Mattie froze while Alfred tensed up.

"He lost his wings Gilbert. Be nice," said Mathias before Alfred could start a fight. Gilbert snorted. "That sucks. So what? Your brother just lugs you everywhere? How did you even lose them?" asked Gilbert. Matthew shifted uncomfortably, looking down."Gilbert, you're not being very nice. You should apologize," said Tino.

"For what?" asked Gilbert, genuinely confused. "I'm too awesome to apologize to these losers. The wingless-wonder should be happy that I called off Gilbird," he said. Alfred grabbed Gilbert by the shirt, his wings stretched out with all the feathers standing on edge.

"Take that back and apologize!" he growled to the albino. Gilbert slightly flapped his wings a couple of times, glaring at the American. "Why should I? I was only asking a question," he said. Alfred glared at the other avian, about to pull his arm back when Tino jumped in.

"Gilbert, that was uncalled for," said Tino, frowning as he got between the two. There was a shuffling sound and they all turned to see a flash of Mattie as he left the cave. Alfred frowned. "Mattie. Mattie!" he called, tucking his wings in. Gilbert frowned at a faint line about five inches long at the edge of Alfred's wings.

"What happened to your wings?" he asked as Alfred started to walk after his brother. Alfred stopped and turned, giving Gilbert a look of disgust. "Hunters. I'm just lucky I got to keep my wings. I guess this flock business was just a stupid idea," he said before turning around and running after Matthew.

 **Remember that one other mountain? Yeah there.**

Arthur and Francis got up early the next morning, a bag packed with food, some magic items of Arthurs, and a feather, ready to go. Francis quickly made the two of them a breakfast to go and handed the bag to Arthur. "Ready mon ami?" he asked. Arthur hesitated. "What if they're disappointed by us?" he asked, brushing one of his wings.

Francis scoffed. "I can assure you they won't be disappointed by moi," he feined, flipping his hair. Arthur scowled. "I'm being serious frog. What if after all this time they forgot about us or they decide they don't want to return with us?" he asked. Francis softened and gently rubbed Arthur's wing.

"Angleterre, I'm sure whatever happens we'll be able to handle it. Don't fret so much. They wouldn't be looking for us if they didn't want to find us," said Francis. Arthur sighed and nodded. "Let's go then. You have the bag?" he asked. Francis nodded and handed it to him before jumping off the ledge of the cliff.

 **The Dynamic Duo**

Matthew did his best to climb down the rocky mountainside quickly but safely. He should have known better. He didn't belong in his brother's world. He was so caught up in the discovery of an entire world he didn't know about that he didn't think about how badly he fit in it. He didn't have wings. He couldn't fly. Even if he did get a flock, he couldn't hunt with them. He couldn't fly with them. He'd always need to be carried around. He'd be nothing but a weak link.

Matthew didn't stop when he heard his brother call after him. He did his best to climb down to the next ledge. Alfred flew down and landed at the ledge above him. "Mattie, that guy was a jerk. I'm sorry he said those things," he said, fluttering his wings the way he usually did when he got nervous.

Mattie was quiet and continued climbing down. He wasn't mad at his brother but he was still upset. The last thing he wanted to do was lash out at his brother for no reason. "Mattie, please talk to me. You know I hate it when you give me the cold shoulder," said his brother with a pout.

The Canadian swallowed. "I-I was stupid. I didn't think any of this through. Even if we get a flock, I'll just be the weak link o-or even more of an outcast than I was in the village," he said. Alfred swooped down suddenly, grabbing his brother's arms and flying back up. Matthew sputtered and struggled a little.

"Alfred, I'm not going back," he said. Alfred landed down at the next ledge. "We're not going back to the mountain. We're going to the village," he said. "B-But-" Alfred cut him off. "Dude, you're my twin. Lukas even said we were bonded. I'm not going anywhere without you. It wouldn't be the same. We've stuck by each other all these years, I don't mind giving up being around jerks if it means I get to keep my brother," he said.

Matthew blinked and felt his eyes well up. He jumped forward and gave his brother a bear hug. "You're the best Alfred. I love you," he said. Alfred grinned and hugged him back. "I know you do. C'mon. We best get flying. I don't want to end up having to fly home when it's dark. Greg and Angie are going to kill us when we get back," he said, referring to their adopted parents.

Mattie pulled away, smiling and wiping his eyes. "Yeah. Especially since we skimped out on helping them with the market today. And the village elder is going to punish us if he finds out we went up the mountain." Alfred rolled his eyes. "I'm sure we can find away to talk ourselves out of it. It wouldn't be the first time," he said, wrapping an arm under Matthew's.

Matthew smiled. "That's true. Just don't exhaust yourself flying us home okay?" he said. Alfred rolled his eyes. "Maybe if you didn't eat so many pancakes I wouldn't get so tired," he joked. Matthew poked him in the rib. "Ready?" asked Al. Mattie nodded and Al picked him up and jumped off the ledge before taking off.

 **The Black Sheep and the Frog**

After a half an hour, Arthur and Francis were finally able to spot the nordic's little niche from the sky. Francis glanced at Arthur. "Nervous?" he asked. Arthur scoffed. "Of course not. We can't even be sure they're ours," he said before tucking in his wings for a dive. Francis rolled his eyes and pulled his wings in as well.

"I just hope Matthew is as sweet as he was when he was little," said Francis. Arthur nodded. "I hope Alfred isn't as rambuncious though. He gave me enough heartattacks to last a lifetime," said Arthur. Francis smiled knowing Arthur missed that.

The two avians landed on the edge of the ledge, tucking in their wings. "How do I look?" asked Francis, double checking the wings he had preened that morning in preparation for the twins Arthur crossed his arms. "Like a flying frog. Can we please go in now?" asked Arthur. Francis sighed and nodded.

As they entered the little alcove, they found Gilbet getting scolded by a very angry Tino and Mathias. "That was the least awesome thing you could have possibly done," said Mathias, crossing his arms. Gilbert gasped in shock and Gilbird forgot to flap his wings for a second, dipping a little before catching himself.

"He wasn't doing anything to hurt you Gilbert. All of that was uncalled for," said Tino, scolding him with a finger. Arthur cleared his throat, having looked around and not finding any avians there other than the nordics and Gilbert. "We got your message. Where's the fledglings Lukas?" asked Arthur.

The nordics froze and Gilbert looked between them and the pair that entered, his eyes suddenly widening in shock and fear. "What's wrong Gilbert? You look a bit upset," said Francis nicely to one of his long time friends. "Schibe," he repeated about five times angrily.

Arthur blinked and looked at Lukas. "What's going on here? Did something happen to the fledglings?" he asked. Lukas shuffled, crossing his arms. "They left," he said bluntly. "They left?!" asked Francis and Arthur. "Did they already find their flocks or something?" asked Arthur.

Lukas glared at Gilbert. "This idiot here hurt one of the twins' feelings and caused the two of them to leave," he said. Arthur swallowed. "Twins you say?" he asked. Berwald. "Alfred and Matthew is what they said their names were," said Tino hesitantly. Francis rushed forward and grabbed Gilbert by the shirt collar.

"Qu'avez-vous fait avec mon bébé oiseaux ? Qu'est-ce que tu as fait? (What have you done with my baby birds? What did you do?)" he asked angrily, shaking Gilbert. Gilbert swallowed. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't know," he said. Arthur put a hand on Francis's shoulder. Reluctantly, the Frenchman let go of the Prussian. Satisfied, Arthur turned around and sucker-punched Gilbert, leaving the albino doubled over and gasping for air.

"What did he do to our boys? Which direction did they fly in?" asked Arthur, his wings stretched out. The nordics hesitated. "Well about that…" trailed Mathias. "Matt d'sn't have wings," said Berwald. Arthur covered his mouth while Francis gasped. "L-Lost his wings? H-How did the bloody hell that happen?" asked Arthur.

"Alfred mentioned something about hunters. Gilbert was nice enough to tease Matthew about it," said Emil. Both Arthur and Francis shot the albino a look to kill. "Maybe you can catch up with them. They're headed to a nearby village that way. They left less than fifteen minutes ago and Alfred has to carry Matthew. You could catch up if you left now," said Tino.

Arthur and Francis were both at the ledge with wings out before Tino could finish speaking. "Thank you," said Arthur over his shoulder before taking off and speeding in the dirrection Tino had indicated, Francis close behind.

 **Don't feel too bad about Gilbert...he kinda had it coming. I'll try to make him seem like less of a jerk later on...if I feel** **like it. Hoped you guys liked it. Your reviews are so sweet!**


	6. Chapter 6: Artie Kills Someone

**The boys next door**

"Let me know when you need a break dude. I know flying can kill your armpits after awhile," shouted Alfred down to Matthew. "I'm fine. Thanks for asking. I'll let you know if they do," said Matthew. Matthew stared at the ground rolling beneath them.

Maybe his missing wings were the reason he never feared flying. The only thing he feared when he was flying with Alfred was his landings and any new tricks Alfred thought of. He's gotten some nasty scars from flying with Alfred. Maybe Matthew even had flown once. He wondered if his wings were like Alfred's or if they looked different. Were they as big as Alfred's? Could he once actually move them?

Matthew spotted something on the ground that pulled him out of his musings. "A-Alfred...I think someone's following us. W-What if it's a hunter?" said Matthew. Alfred peered over his back. "I don't see anything except a couple of avians. They're pretty far behind us dude. Nothing to worry about," he said.

Matthew shook his head. "On the ground Alfred. I know hunters can't fly," he said. Alfred frowned but didn't seem to think it serious. "It might be another villager that snuck out. Or a search party bro," he said. "I'm serious Alfred. I t-think he has a gun," said Matthew, spying the tall man dressed in a coat below them.

Hearing the stutter that only appeared when Mattie was afraid or nervous, Alfred glanced down at his twin. "Where do you see him?" asked Alfred. "There," said Matthew, gesturing with his foot to make it less obvious. Alfred's face grew serious, spotting the large black stick in the man's hand that couldn't be anything but a gun.

"We can't turn back to Tino's flock for help...he'd try to go after them. T-Try to find a tree we can hide in or something," said Matthew, scanning the ground for a tree tall enough with strong enough branches that the two could wait out the hunter in. Alfred shook his head, his face getting that determined look Mattie dreaded.

"Matthew, meet me at the village. Don't let the hunter know we're related. If he finds out, he might hurt you. Convince him to escort you to the village and tell the elder what he is. I'll meet you there after I warn Mathias and them about the hunter being so close to their territory," said Alfred.

"Alfred, don't do anything stupid. J-Just stay in the tree. There's a good chance he won't be able to climb up and get us. Or maybe the two of us can fight him off together," begged Matthew.

"I'm sorry dude. I love you bro," said Alfred, starting to angle his wings. Matthew's eyes widen. "Alfred Franklin Jones, don't do anything stupid. Don't you dare do what I think you're doing!" he said angrily. Alfred gave him a small smile before dropping him into a tree.

"Alfred!" shouted Matthew, flailing as he crashed through the branches. He could see a glimps of his brother as he attempted to fly higher as he fell. Just before he disappeared from view, there was the sound of a gun going off.

 **Cliffhanger enablers**

After a few minutes, Arthur and Francis were finally able to catch sight of an avian with large eagle wings carrying what appeared to be a human. "That must be them," shouted Arthur. He glanced at Francis, who's face looked so sorrowful. "T-The one he's carrying must be Matthew. Mon infantil," he said sadly.

The two flapped their wings harder, doing their best to catch up to the boys. At one point, they notice Alfred look over his shoulder. Arthur waved his arms, trying to convince the boy to stop. Francis frowned. "Perhaps he didn't see us," he said when Alfred turned back around. Arthur nodded, wishing the git would just given him a good look.

A few minutes later, Alfred suddenly dropped Matthew gently into a nearby tree. "Que fait-il?" shouted Francis. Arthur's mouth gapped, unable to answer. They watched as Alfred suddenly started gaining altitude. Arthur scrunched his eyebrows together. "Something's not right."

Just as he said that, a gunshot rang out. Both avians froze and watched helplessly as Alfred desperately tried to use his one good wing to stay airborne before disappearing into the forest below. Francis covered his mouth, eyes welling up. "Hunters. There's hunters. Non. Not again. S'il vous plaît pas à nouveau."

Arthur swallowed back a scream. "You go after Matthew. See if he's alright. I'm going to go after Alfred. Get Matthew back to the nest as soon as you can," said Arthur before pumping his wings harder than before. Francis swallowed and nodded, pulling in his wings for a dive towards the tree.

 **Who's got two thumbs and a injured wing? This guy**

Alfred cried out when he felt his wing get pierced by a bullet. His wing suddeny felt like it was on fire. Desperately, he throw out his other wing in hopes of counteracting the injured one, but the pain of the wound combined with the air resistance he was facing kept him from being able to control his falling all that well.

As he got closer to the ground, he attempted to pull his wings in but was flipped over by a branch, causing him to fall onto the injured wing. Alfred let out a gasp of pain as the wing broke upon reaching the ground. He felt something in his wing crack in several places. Red spots filled his vision as he was stunned into paralysis for a second. Then he heard it.

Footsteps. They were coming into the clearing. Alfred tried to get up but yelped when he found that the wing, now pinned under his body, was far to injured to move. He somehow managed to land on the wing at an awkward angle. There was no doubt that it was broken now. The only doubt was in how well the village healer could fix it. If he got to live to see the village again.

The hunter, a tall man of light complexion, approached him with a smile. "Time to die da? Birdies with broken wings get put down," he said, gun at his side, circling him. Alfred scowled at him and once again tried to get up but ended up collapsing.

The man tutted. "It looks like you've pinned your wing underneath you, silly. Here, let me help." With that, the hunter put a foot on his back and pushed Alfred forward, putting even more pressure on the wound and nearly dislocating his wing. Alfred screamed, black spots starting to fill his vision. He pointlessly tried to hit the man but missed.

The pressure left suddenly and Alfred collasped, finding it hard to breathe. Vaguely, he could hear shouting and the sounds of someone getting beat up. There was a familiar voice, sounding angry. He flinched when he heard the gun go off again, the familiar voice suddenly stopping. Alfred, completely dazed and starting to feel himself go into shock, reached his hand forward, trying to find something that could help him up. He managed to grab a branch before passing out.

Arthur almost had lost Alfred in the trees until he heard screaming. Eyes wide and his heart nearly stopping, he turned and saw the hunter try to dislocate Alfred's wing. Arthur's eyes narrowed and he pulled his wings in, sending him into an extremely fast dive.

Just after he cleared the lower branches of the trees, Arthur snapped his wings out partially to turn him so he could deliver a hammer kick to the hunter's chest. The hunter's breath left him in a whosh, and the hunter stumbled backward. "Get away from him you twat!" shouted Arthur.

The tall man gave him a twisted smirk. "Ah, so he does have a flock. I was wondering why he was traveling alone," he lifted the gun and shot at Arthur. Arthur, having fought off hunters before, knew to duck and used the momentum to tackle the man around the waist. The hunter fell and Arthur quickly punched him in the throat, causing him to choke long enough for Arthur to twist the gun out of his hands.

Arthur gave the man the most hateful look he could muster. "I won't allow your kind to hurt my boys ever again," he spat, pulling the trigger. The man fell silent forever. Throwing the gun aside, Arthur got up and turned to Alfred, freezing a bit when he saw him.

The poor boy was cumpled, his wing trapped under his body and bent multiple places in the wrong direction. There was blood still coming out of his gunwound. Arthur ran over and squatted down next to him, afraid to touch him. "Alfred. Alfie, wake up. The hunter is gone. You're safe now," said Arthur gently.

Before he could touch the boy, Alfred's eyes flew open and he winced, holding his wrist close to his chest. "M-Mattie?" asked Alfred, eyes clenched. "Francis is looking for him, pet. The hunter is dead," said Arthur in coaxing voice. Alfred jumped when he heard the man's voice and immediately threw his good wing out, trying to get the stranger away.

Arthur jumped back, nearly saving himself from being knocked over by one of the massive wings. Alfred scrambled around with his good arm, searching for the branch. Slowly, Arthur streched out his wings and lowered himself so Alfred could see him underneath his wing. "Alfred, don't worry. I'm an avian too. I'm not going to hurt you," said Arthur, gradually reaching out until his hand brushed Alfred's wing.

Alfred jerked back as if something had burnt him, causing him to tear up at the pain of doing so. Arthur nearly teared up himself. The Alfred he remembered loved having his wings pet and would always be brushing his wings against Arthur, despite how much it annoyed Arthur at the time.

Arthur dropped his hand from the wing, instead reaching out to Alfred. "Where are you hurt, poppet? I can help. My friend is looking for your brother. We saw what happened," he said gently, not wanting to overwhelm Alfred who looked on the brink of passing out once more.

"M-My wing, my head, and my arm hurt the most," whimpered Alfred, slowly relaxing. Arthur nodded. His head had a nasty bump on it and what was wrong with his wing was obvious. There were various cuts on the boy as well. Perhaps he broke his arm as well? Arthur gently reached forward. "Let me see," he said, gently feeling for a break but finding nothing.

Arthur scrunched his eyebrows together. "It's not broken…" he trailed off, concentrating on Alfred with his 'magic.' Alfred had a bond to someone. He was feeling their pain. It must have been Matthew. "Don't worry, you didn't break your arm. Listen dearest, I'm going to take you someplace safe. I don't want to risk another hunter finding us," said Arthur.

Alfred gave him a nod, his eyes starting to flutter close. Arthur quickly picked up Alfred, holding him close, and started flying back to his and Francis's nest, hoping that Francis and Matthew were safe. He looked down at the sleeping face of Alfred. He wasn't going to lose him again. He needed to get home quickly.

 **The bird and the guy with a broken arm**

Francis scoured the tree, looking to see if Matthew was hanging from a branch. Just as he started to wonder if he was looking in the wrong tree, he heard a thump followed by a yelp below. Francis looked down to see Matthew laying at the base of the tree, disoriented and holding his arm close to his chest with a wince.

Forgetting that Matthew may not know who he is, Francis dived down and practically tackled Matthew with a hug. "Ma chère tu vas bien!" he said over and over again, smothering the baffled boy with kisses. "U-Um...H-Hi…" said Matthew, looking startled by the affectionate greeting.

Francis blinked, remembering the situation, and pulled back. "Are you hurt mon infantil? You didn't get hurt when you fell out of that tree did you Mathieu?" he asked. Mattie started to answer before blinking. "H-How do you know my name?" he asked. Francis gave him a sad smile. "Because I raised you. Now, are you hurt?" he asked.

"J-Just my arm. But Alfred is in trouble. T-There's a hunter and I think he's hurt his wing. There's something wrong with it. We need to help him!" said Matthew, scrambling to his feet. Francis put a hand on his shoulder. "Mon chere, Arthur, the other man who helped me raise you, is handling the hunter and your brother. Why do you think there's something wrong with his wing?" he asked.

"H-He got shot...and I think he may have broken it or had it nearly dislocated," said Matthew. Francis gave him a curious look. "Did you see him fall? You were just dropped in the tree when Arthur and I came by," he said. Matthew shook his head. "I-I saw him get shot, but I know he's hurt. ...I-I felt it," he said, voice trembling.

Francis blinked. He had forgotten that the boys have bonded. Poor Matthew must have felt his brother get hurt. "Mathieu, I'm sure Arthur can handle it. He used to hang out with pirates. Let me see your arm," coaxed Francis. Matthew jerked his arm back painfully. "No. I need to help my brother. T-This is all my fault," he said.

Francis thought about this. If they walked, that would give Arthur enough time to take care of the hunter before they got there, which would keep Matthew out of further danger. But if they walked there and Arthur hadn't gotten to Alfred, he'd need their help. "No it's not. We'll go look for your brother, but not until I set your arm," said Francis.

Matthew sighed and let Francis expertly prod the arm with his fingers. "This will only hurt a bit. I'm sorry," he said before quickly setting the break. Mathew gasped in pain, tearing up a little. When it was done, Francis quickly used a couple of branches and his hair tie to create a makeshift splint. "There. Better?" he asked. Matthew silently nodded.

"Now lets go see your brother, oui?" he asked. Matthew nodded. "Can you carry me?" he asked. "It would be safer to walk until we know the hunter is taken cared of. Don't want you to be dropped in a tree twice now," half-lied Francis. Matthew nodded and started to run in the direction he thought Al had landed in.

Francis ran after him, surprised with how quick the boy was. "I suppose he had to get around somehow without wings," he thought to himself. Matthew suddenly stopped at the edge of a clearing, causing Francis to crash into him. Francis quickly caught Matthew before he could fall onto his arm.

Matthew looked around the clearing. There was nothing there besides a handful of brown feathers he recognized as his brother's and a dead hunter. It looked like someone had shot him. Matthew swallowed. "W-Where's Alfred?" he asked.

"Pas de panique. I'm sure Arthur took him back to our nest. See that light grey feather there? That's one of Arthur's. Since there's no signs of another hunter, I think it should be safe to fly back to the nest. But first, I can quickly heal your arm a little bit if you'd like," said Francis, wanting to create a bond with the boy before he lost him again.

"I want to see my brother first. I-I'm sure he's hurt badly. Please take me with you to your nest. I-I promise that I'm not a hunter," stuttered Matthew, shaking a little. Francis gave him a small smile. "Of course mon petite. I would never have thought you were a hunter," With that, he picked up Matthew and flapped his wings.

Matthew nuzzled against Francis without thinking, causing Francis to smile softly. "I'm sure he's fine. Arthur is a mage. He would know how to help him. He'll be safe with Arthur. We won't let the hunters come after you two again, d'accord?" he said. Matthew nodded. Francis smiled and looked up, hurrying toward the nest. He missed being able to hold the child he raised.

 **Brokewing Mountain (No this isn't a ship. I just couldn't refrain myself from this pun.)**

Alfred moaned in Arthur's arms when a current hit his injured wing. Arthur's heart nearly tore in two. "We're almost there pet. You're alright." He landed on the ledge, ignoring the ache in his wings from carrying Alfred. Without slowing down, he rushed to the sleeping area and laid down Alfred on his back.

Arthur's finger froze over the pit the bullet had made in his wing. He looked at Alfred, who was groggily coming back into consciousness. "Alfred, I need to pull the bullet out of your wing. May I do so?" Alfred weakly bobbed his head. "Thank you," said Arthur, before quickly using a pair of pliars to pull the bullet out.

Alfred shouted, the pain from having Arthur remove the bullet causing him to jolt his wing painfully. Arthur swallowed. "M-May I touch your wing? It would make things easier," he said. "I-I want Mattie. Where's Mattie?" whimpered Alfred, his eyes starting to tear up. Arthur's heart melted.

He shuffled over and placed Alfred's head in his lap, stroaking his hair. "Shh. Mattie's alright. Francis will have him here soon. Rest your eyes. I'll wake you when he's here, alright?" said Arthur. Alfred nodded, closing his eyes. Within seconds, he was asleep again.

Arthur continued stroking his hair. "My poor Alfie. I've missed you so. Just hang in there. I promise we'll fix your wing. I won't let anyone hurt you or take you away again. I'm so sorry poppet," he said in trembling voice.

 **So far I've been keeping the chapter to about 5 pages a chapter...Any thoughts on whether I should bump it up or not? I'm just trying to figure out good places to break up the chapters. Also...what are people's thoughts on song fics? Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter.**


	7. Chapter 7: Welcome Home

Arthur was starting to get worried. It was taking a while for Francis to arrive and Alfred wouldn't let him touch his wing. Alfred's face has gone pale and sweaty. Finally, he saw a dot slowly growing larger, revealing Francis and his peacock wings carrying Matthew. Arthur felt himself relax with relief. Matthew was alright. Francis had found him.

As soon as Francis touched the ground, Matthew rushed over to Alfred with wide eyes. "Alfred?! Alfred?!" he shouted, stopping by his brother and dropping to his knees. "Oh no...his wing," he whispered, his body trembling softly. Arthur gently shook Alfred's shoulder. "Alfred, poppet, your brother is here," he said.

Alfred opened his eyes and gave his brother a weak smile. "You're alright. Can you rub my wing?" he asked sleepily. Matthew blinked back tears before giving his twin a smile and a nod. France and Arthur shot each other questioning looks as Matthew carefully moved next to the wing and place his hand just next to the bullet wound.

Arthur's eyes widen when he saw the wound slowly stop bleeding as Matthew gently rubbed circles into the wing, murmering things to his brother. He glanced at Francis who looked just as surprised. Matthew didn't seem aware of what he was doing. "C-Can you fix his wing? H-He's not going to lose his ability to fly is he?" he asked.

The wound started to shrink, and just before Arthur could answer Matthew swayed. Francis quickly pulled him away from Alfred. "Mathieu, you're using too much of your own strength to help Alfred. Relax and focus on getting better," he said. "W-What do you mean?" asked Matthew.

"You were healing him, love. Just look at the wound, it's smaller now," said Arthur gently. Matthew's eyes widened and he squirmed. "I-I can keep doing it. Let me help him!" he said. Francis quickly stopped him.

"Non mon infantil. Your strength is ebbing and we can't have you pass out on top of his wing. Arthur et moi can heal him, but we have to get his permission to do so. The healing creates a bond, see?" said Francis. Matthew swallowed. "C-Can you undo the bond if he decides he doesn't want it?" he asked.

"It would be….very difficult, but Francis and I raised you two. I can promise you that we will bring no harm to you and your brother. If you two decide you want to leave, we will respect your decision. If you want to sever it, I can do my best to see if my magic will allow it," said Arthur with difficulty.

Matthew nodded, pulling himself out of Francis's arms, and crawling over to Alfred. He shook his brother's shoulder, causing Alfred's eyes to flicker open. "Mattie?" he asked grogily. "Alfred, you need to let Francis and Arthur touch your wings. They can help you," said Matthew gently.

Alfred frowned, slightly dazed. "B-But I don't like people touching my wings. What if they're mean like the villagers?" he asked. Matthew smiled softly. "They're not going to do that Alfie. I promise. They'll make you feel better," he said. "But Lukas…" he trailed off.

"Please Alfred, for me? I wouldn't let anyone hurt you, remember?" said Matthew. Alfred hesitated and nodded. "Okay," he said in a meek voice. Matthew nodded with relief, watching as his brother fell back asleep.

"I'll tend to Alfred. Matthew, I'll check on your arm when I'm done," said Arthur, quickly moving over to Alfred's injured wing. Francis shook his head. "Mon ami, you're going to overwork yourself if you tend to both of their injuries," he warned. "I-I'm fine Arthur," stuttered Matthew.

Francis smiled at him and led him to a rock to sit against before Matthew could start to sway once more. "If you like Mathieu, I could heal your arm for you. It'll make you feel better," he said. Matthew hesitated, leaning against the rock while feeling light-headed. "I-I don't know...No offense but I'm still not sure about this bond thing…" he said.

Francis's wings slumped. Matthew looked at the avain's wings curiously. The undersides were dark brown closer to his body but the further half of the frenchman's wings were light blonde. The outside of the wings were speckled white and black with blue and green feathers mixed in.

Francis noticed the boy had gotten distracted. He followed Matthew's gaze to his wings and stretched his wings out bit more so the Canadian could see them better. Matthew blushed when he realized he had been caught staring. "S-Sorry...Your wings are really pretty. I wouldn't have thought that avian feathers could come in green and blue," he said.

Francis smiled. "They don't very often. Arthur says it suits my need to 'flaunt and make a fool of myself.' You could touch them if you like," he said gently. Matthew's eyes widen. "R-Really? Are you sure?" he asked. Francis nodded. "Mathieu, I am your big brother. I raised you from when you were si petit. I trust you," he said.

Hesitating, Matthew raised his good arm and stroaked the feathers, sightly surprised to find them so soft. "Ils sont si doux," muttered Matthew. Francis raised an eyebrow. "Tu parle français?" he asked. Matthew nodded, hesitating again. "I-I remembered a french accent from before they found us in the village. I learnt it from a traveling merchant," he said.

Francis gave him a bright smile. "C'est super. I taught you French as a child. I'm glad to see you decided to keep speaking the language," he said. Matthew smiled back before hesitating and stretching out his injured arm. "I-If you still are willing to heal it, I-I don't mind," said Matthew.

Francis blinked before smiling and slightly tearing up. "Oui. I don't mind at all mon chere," he said, taking the arm. Francis removed the splint and gently put his hand around where the break occured, keeping the arm steady with his other hand. He closed his eyes and started concentrated.

Matthew watched the stubbled man curiously, wondering if it would still work even if he had lost his wings. So far, he wasn't feeling any different. After a few seconds, Matthew felt a surge of electricity go through him and gasped.

Francis gasped as well, his eyes opening, revealing that his eyes were glowling slightly. Matthew could suddenly feel Francis's joy at having him and Alfred back along with worry for them. "Is this the bond Tino and Lukas were talking about?" wondered Matthew.

Francis gave him a small smile and a nod before closing his eyes and concentrating on the arm. Matthew could feel the throbbing of his arm slowly dull. After about two minutes, Francis pulled away, looking tired. "You should still use the splint but it should hurt much less now," he said, his hands already moving to tie the splint back together.

"Thank you," said Matthew somewhat shyly. Francis gave him a hug, wrapping both his arms and wings around Matthew. "I missed you so much Mathieu. Arthur and I have been searching for you two for years," he said, squeezing him. Matthew smiled and hugged him back.

Arthur's fingers worked quickly, moving the broken pieces as gently and softly as possible in order to set the wing properly. Alfred clenched his teeth but didn't complain. "Perhaps he's become less of a chatter-box as he got older. Or perhaps this hurts too much for him to put forward the effort to talk my ear off," thought Arthur.

As he set the the wings, he noticed scars from old cuts scattered across the underside of Alfred's wings. Alfred shrank a little when Arthur's fingers brushed against one. Arthur dropped his hand and brought it back to one of the mutiple breaks along Alfred's wing. "There might be some tingling. That's normal," said Arthur closing his eyes.

Alfred watched as Arthur placed a hand on the break, causing him to wince. Almost immeditely, Alfred felt a jolt of electricity go through him, making both his hair and feathers stand on end. He gasped and Arthur opened his green eyes, which were glowing, to give him a reassuring smile before closing them to concentrate.

Alfred relaxed when the electricity suddenly turned into a cooling, soothing feeling. "That's right poppet, just relax," coaxed Arthur mentally. Alfred didn't register the thoughts. He was too focused on the relief the healing was bringing him to realize Arthur hadn't moved his lips. He was only slightly aware of Arthur's anger at the hunter and concern for Alfred.

When Arthur finished doing what he could do for the day, Alfred had fallen into a peaceful sleep. Arthur's mind was groggy and clouded. Francis, feeling something was off through their bond, looked up to see Arthur sway. Francis jumped up and ran over to Arthur just as he attempted to stand up. He got there just in time to catch Arthur as he stumbled.

"Angleterre, you pushed yourself too far. Just how much did you do?" Francis asked a dazed Arthur. Arthur limply fluttered his wings. "H-He had a concussion. I took care of that, the gun shot, and healed the breaks enough that they wouldn't hurt so much," he mumbled.

Francis frowned and helped Arthur over to a sleeping pallet with Matthew's help. "Is he going to be okay?" asked a concerned Matthew. Francis nodded. "He just needs to rest and regain his energy before he tries to do anything else," he said.

"I'm fine," muttered Arthur. "Non. You are not. Now sleep before I have to heal you too," said Francis. Arthur muttered something under his breath about frogs but closed his eyes. After a few seconds, he was sleeping soundly. Francis smiled and turned to Matthew. "For now, we'll have to put a splint on your brother's wing until he can safely move it again," he said.

Francis fluttered around the little cliff he and Arthur called home, searching for different materials they could use for a wing splint. After a few minutes, he came back and had Matthew help lift up the wing gently so Francis could wrap up the wing. When they were done, Francis turned to Matthew.

"Do you and your brother ever go hunting?" he asked. "Tino mentioned something about hunting earlier too. No...we've never gone hunting. I'm not a fan of guns and Alfred's always been too busy trying to figure out new things to do with his wings," said Matthew.

"How did your brother learn to fly?" asked Francis curiously. "Jumping off of things. Watching birds. He's hurt himself so many times the village healer has a cot reserved for him. He can handle himself in the air...he's just not good with landings or anything that takes really polished skill to do. But then again, he focuses more on doing tricks than anything," said Matthew.

Francis smiled. "I suppose Arthur will insist on fixing that immediately. As for the hunting, when your brother feels better Arthur and I can take you two hunting. How does that sound?" he asked. Matthew smiled. "That sounds like fun. I'm sure Alfred would love that. I would love to hear more about when we were little. We both would," said Matthew.

Francis nodded. "Oui. I think Arthur would like to make sure your brother is up for that conversation first though. We should get some sleep, no? I know you must be tried from everything that happened today. I'm sorry, but we don't have any extra blankets though," he said. Matthew nodded.

"I-It's fine. Alfred doesn't mind if I crawl under his wing. He gets nightmares easily and it helps him sleep," said Matthew. Francis gave him a smile. "Bonne nuit," he said before laying down next to Arthur. Matthew nodded and gave him a smile before walking over to Alfred and curling up next to him.

Alfred woke up to Mattie mumbling, "Quit hogging the wing Alfred," in his sleep the next morning. Alfred blinked and looked around as best as he could without waking up Mattie. He didn't remember how they got there. The last thing he remembered was a british voice telling him to relax.

Alfred started to pull the wing not covering Mattie in before he winced, finding that it was bandaged and in a splint. Suddenly, the sound of a gunshot rang out in his mind. Right. He got shot of the sky. ...Wait. There was a hunter. Alfred heart started pounding rapidly. What if they were still in danger?

Matthew frowned in his sleep, tugging at the wing half-awake. "Go back to sleep. It's just a nightmare," he muttered, falling back to sleep. Alfred made a face at his sleeping twin and jumped when he heard someone behind him chuckle. Alfred sat up and turned around to find an avian with long blond hair, stubble, and beautiful wings sitting next to a fire.

"Bon matin, Alfred. Are you hungry? I'm making crepes for breakfast," said the man with a french accent. Alfred's stomach growled before he could even open his mouth, making the other man chuckle again. "I'll take that as a yes. My name is Francis. Do you remember me?" he asked, flipping something in the cooking pan he was holding over the flame.

Alfred hesitated, thinking. "Lukas mentioned a Francis. He and Emil said you were a matchmaker," he said. Francis smiled brightly. "I don't know if I'm a matchmaker, but Lili and Emil were too shy to admit they liked each other. I only pushed them along. Do you and Mattie have anyone special in your lives?" he asked, his eyes looking slightly mischevious.

"Uh...no. The villagers kinda gave us a wide berth," said Alfred, rubbing his injured wing. Francis gave him a worried look. "Is your wing hurting you? I can heal it a bit more if you'd like," he offered. Alfred gave him a smile. "I'm fine dude. Where's the dude that healed it before? I should really thank him," he said.

Francis handed him a crepe. "Arthur is sleeping. Healing burns up a lot of energy and he pushed himself further than he should have. He'll be alright, but he'll more than likely sleep until lunch or later," he said. Alfred shifted, feeling guilty. Francis shook his head. "Don't feel bad. He wanted to do it. We're both so happy to have found you," said Francis.

Alfred nodded and took a bite of his crepe, freezing when he tasted it. Francis gave him a curious look. "Do you not like crepes? I can make something else mon petite," said Francis. Alfred shook his head. "Mattie and I remember eating something just like this as kids. We couldn't ever figure out what it is," he said.

Francis grinned, glad to be remembered by his cooking. "Oui. I used to cook for you two all the time, if only to save you from Arthur's cooking," he said. "Is his cooking that bad?" he asked. Francis nodded and pointed at a pile of what Alfred thought were rocks. "See those? They're scones that insists on making," said Francis.

Alfred snorted. "That's sad." Mattie stirred, waking up due to his brother's laughing. He sat up and gently pushed Alfred's wing off of him before rubbing his eyes. "What's so funny?" he asked. "Apparently Arthur's cooking can be easily mixed up with rocks," said Alfred. "I'm sure he's not that bad," said Matthew.

Francis's face grew serious. "Oui, it is. His cooking is horrendous. Avoid it if you can," he said, starting to pour batter into the pan for another crepe. Matthew turned to his brother. "Is your wing feeling any better?" he asked. Alfred nodded. Matthew promptly punched him in the shoulder. Francis looked up when he heard Al's cry of protest.

"What were you thinking?! You could have gotten yourself killed. We could have waited in the tree until he gave up and left! You never think!" said Matthew, causing Francis to raise an eyebrow in surprise at seeing the quiet boy get all worked up.

Alfred rubbed his shoulder. "Easy dude! I'm already aching as it is. If we waited in the tree, he could have outlasted us. He had food and water. We didn't. The minute either of us try to sneak away, he'd shoot us. Plus, he would have known you were an avian too if you were just up in the tree with me. Besides, what would have kept him from climbing up?" said Al.

Matthew scowled. "We could have stayed in the tree until we thought of a safer plan," he said, crossing his arms. "He might have left and gone after Tino's flock. I had to warn them and I didn't want you to get hurt. The guy wasn't playing around. I'm sure he would have found a way to come after us both," said Alfred, crossing his arms too.

Francis nodded. "Hunters spend their life hunting us. A mere tree wouldn't have kept him from getting you two. You're brother was smart and thinking quickly, trying to keep the hunter distracted until you got help," he said.

Matthew's face turned guilty. "I'm sorry Alfred. You were thinking about me and all I'm doing is being ungrateful. I guess I'm just angry because I couldn't do anything to help you," he said. Alfred grinned. "Dude, you would have done the same thing if the roles were reversed. Don't worry about it," he said.

Matthew gave him a hug. "You got really hurt trying to protect me. Of course I'm going to worry about it. Thank you," he said. Alfred grinned wider, hugging his brother back. "Dude, you're as sappy as maple syrup you know that?" he joked. Matthew smirked. "You couldn't restrain yourself, could you?" he said. "Nope."

Mattie snorted and pulled back, flicking his brother's shoulder. "Hey, take it easy on the guy who got shot," teased Alfred, making Matthew roll his eyes. Francis smiled. It was good to see the two of them tease and mess around with each other. He was glad that they stayed close to each other even after being separated from their older siblings.

Matthew took the other plate from Francis, thanking him. Alfred fidgeted, a little antsy. "So what happened to the hunter that was after me? D-Do we have to worry about him coming back?" he asked. Mattie froze and glanced at Francis, not sure how Alfred would react. Francis took a breathe and turned to Alfred. "He's dead mon ami. Arthur had to kill him to keep you two safe," he said.

Alfred blinked. "O-Oh...I guess we don't have to worry about him coming after us. Thank you for going after Mattie and bringing us here," he said. Franis smiled. "No need to thank us. I couldn't leave Mathieu in a tree," said Francis. Alfred glanced at Matthew's arm. "How did you hurt your arm?" he asked.

Matthew scowled. "I fell out of the tree," he murmered. Alfred instantly started laughing just as Mattie expected he would. "Dude, I thought you would have been smart enough to grab a branch or something," he said. "I was too stunned when I head the gun go off! I thought you were dead!" blurted Mattie.

Alfred's face fell. "Y-You did?" he asked. Mattie hesitated. "I-I could feel it when you fell...Your wing must still be killing you. When you broke it, I was so surprised I fell," he muttered. Alfred gave him a hug. "I-I woke up when I felt you wrist broke. I'm so sorry I made you feel that Mattie," he said.

"It's not your fault Alfred. Does your wing still hurt?" asked Mattie. Alfred shook his head, sitting back. In truth, his wing still felt sore. Matthew frowned. "Liar," he said. Francis leaned forward. "I should probably check to make sure it's healing properly, if you are alright with me doing so, cocotte," he offered.

Alfred hesitated before turning so Francis could look at his wing. Francis carefully peeled back a bandage from the gunshot wound. "It looks about halfway healed. It doesn't look like the bullet hit anything important," said Francis, unwrapping the bandages and the splint around Als' wing.

Alfred winced a little when Francis undid the splint. Mattie frowned, as did Francis when he looked at the breaks. "Arthur really did over do it yesterday...He has one of the breaks half-way healed. That on top of the concussions, the cuts, and the gunshot wound, it's no wonder he's still snoring over there," he said. A snort from Arthur was all his retort.

"I could heal it a bit more. It would be less sore if I did," said Francis. Alfred glanced at Mattie who gave him an encouraging smile. Alfred nodded. "Go for it...but don't push yourself," he said. Francis smiled. "Don't worry about me. Please lay down, ma chérie," said Francis. Alfred nodded and laid on his stomach with Francis gently keeping his wing steady.

Francis gently set his hands on his wing and started to concentrate, closing his eyes. Mattie looked on curiously before frowning. The area where Alfred's wing met his back was bruised, a dark splotchy blue. Neither Francis or Arthur had tried to heal it yet, they were focusing on stuff that either took a few seconds to fix or the broken bones.

Alfred let out a breath when the bond was made, his eyes flicking open revealing glowing cerulean eyes. He immediately tried his best to put a wall between him and Francis when he realized what Matthew was staring at. Francis frowned but didn't ask anything, instead turning his focus onto the injury.

Alfred was about to open his mouth when suddenly there was sweet relief brought to his throbbing wing. Matthew smiled softly as his brother slowly relax, practically melting under Francis's gentle rubbing of his wing. Francis smiled as well, glad to bring the boy some sort of relief from what he, now, knew to be a constant ache.

"Do you want me to help the bruise along?" asked Francis, causing Alfred to tense a little. "No, uh, I'm okay with a few achy muscles. It's my wing that bugs me the most," he said, not lying. Franicis opened his mouth but was interrupted by chirping.

Mr. Puffin. Francis sighed. "I should have figured they would send messengers," he said, pulling his hands away from Alfred's wing, only swaying slightly. Mattie sent him a worried look before rebandaging Alfred's wing and helping his brother up.

"I'm fine mon lapin. Let me see what these two have to say," said Francis, reaching a hand Mr. Puffin who landed at his feet. "How come you can hear them talk and we can't?" asked Alfred drowsily. "Are you alright?" asked Matthew. Francis smiled. "It's a side effect from the healing. It makes both of us a bit tired, me more so than him though." he said.

"And the birds only make themselves easy to understand to those who they care to do so," said Francis. Mr. Puffin nodded, tilting his head. "But don't worry about me kid. What happened to your wing? Is that why Emil hasn't heard anything from you guys?" he asked. Both Mattie and Alfred froze, looking at the bird with their mouths hanging open.

"Oui Monsieur Puffin. There was a hunter about ten minutes away from the nordics' nest. Arthur killed him but you should tell them to keep an eye out," said Francis. Mr. Puffin nodded before flapping his wings and circling Alfred. "You musta fallen hard kid. What about your brother? He just got out of it with only a broken arm?" he asked. Mattie nodded silently.

"Tell Tino and Lukas that Arthur and I owe them big time. We would have never reunited with them if they didnt' tell us they found them. Tell them that the boys are safe and with us. We will ask, however, that they don't come over today. We're all a bit tired," said Francis. Mr. Puffin nodded. "Of course frenchie. I'll tell them you boys said hi," he said before flying off.

Alfred slipped his shirt on, it having been pulled off by Arthur in order to get to check on the possibly dislocated wing the day before. Francis sighed, turning and frowning at a spot of blood that had stained Alfred's shirts. "You two could do with some clean clothes and a bath. There's a creek a few feet away. I have some clothes you two can borrow," said Francis, getting up and running over to a nearby cave.

Mattie turned to Alfred. "You don't want to tell them about your wings?" he asked. Alfred shifted uncomfortably,crossing his arms. "You and the village healer are the only ones who know. Not even Angie knows. Besides, they're already worried about me as it is. About both of us," he said.

Mattie nodded. "How long do you want to stay? It's been a few days since we've been in the village. We don't want to worry anyone," he said. "That and we don't even have any money or our own supplies. I don't want to have to keep mooching off of everyone we meet," said Alfred.

"You two are not mooching. Arthur and I are simply ecstatic to have you with us. You are welcomed to whatever is ours," said a voice from behind them, causing the twins to jump in surprise. "Are you sure?" asked Matthew shyly. "We're kinda used to pulling our own weight," said Alfred.

"Alfred, you just worry about your wing, oui? Now mon lapins, I hope these fit you. Did you two need to send back a message to your village? I have a bird who could deliver a message for you," said Francis, already leading the boys over to the creek.

Matthew nodded. "T-That would be great. Thank you," he said. Francis gave them a warm smile. "Of course. Let me know if you two need anything. And Alfred? Be careful not to get your injured wing wet. You don't want to risk an infection," he said. Alfred nodded and Francis left.

Arthur groaned as he sat up. "Angeleterre! You're awake!" said Francis happily, making the brit a cup of tea. Arthur put a hand to his head and looked around. "Don't tell me I imagined everything that happened," he said, slightly panicked that the boys were gone. Francis gave a light laugh.

"Non mon ami. The boys are cleaning themselves off in the creek. I gave them some of my clothes since theirs were dirty," he said. Arthur's shoulders sagged with relief. "Is Alfred doing any better?" he asked. Francis nodded. "I finished healing the one break you started fixing yesterday. The other two are still bothering him," he said.

"And Matthew?" asked Arthur, taking the cup of tea from him. "His arm is half-way healed. They're both fine Arthur. Don't worry. You should have seen them this morning. They're very overprotective of each other. Mathieu punched Alfred for trying to distract the hunter," he said.

Arthur scowled. "He should have waited in the tree until we could have helped him. It almost cost him his life," said Arthur. Francis frowned. "In the five minutes they would have spent waiting for us, the boys may have been killed," he said. Arthur made a face but sighed.

"What are they like?" asked Arthur with a tinge of curiosity. Francis smiled. "Mathieu is still sweet and timid. Alfred is a bit more lively I believe, though I think he's still feeling too sore to come up with any of his brilliant schemes," he chuckled. Arthur smiled sadly.

"When do you think we should ask them to stay?" asked Francis. "I suppose we shoud get to know them first and see how much they remember before we scare them off. Perhaps we should ask them to stay a few days before we ask them if they'd like to become a flock again," said Arthur.

Francis nodded. "They plan on sending a message to their village to keep them from worrying….They were talking about possibly leaving soon. Alfred is afraid we might think of them as mooches," he said hesitantly. Arthur frowned. "I'm sure they won't. They must be at least a little curious as to what happened. We'll do our best to convince them to stay," said Arthur.

"Oui, but you have to keep yourself from being too pushy Arthur," warned Francis. Arthur scowled. "What do you mean by that frog?!" shot back Arthur. "You get too clingy and desperate. If you're not that you're too prickly and stiff. You should be careful of scaring them away," said Francis, waving a hand.

"Me? You're the one who's probably already plotting a way to get them mates! Either that or make them your newest fashion guinea pigs!" said Arthur. "You say that like it's a bad thing!" said Francis, feigning shock. "Of course it's a bad thing! You're going to poison their innocence!" said Arthur.


	8. Ch 8:Francis and Artie Fight the Trilogy

Matthew and Alfred climbed up the hill that led back to the nest, freezing slightly when they heard shouting. They made a turn and found Francis and Arthur grappling with each other. "I WAS A BLOODY PIRATE! HOW DARE YOU INSULT MY SWIMMING SKILLS!" shouted Arthur, pushing Francis's fists away.

"Onhonhon. What swiming skills? You sink like one of your scones. That is to say, a rock," said Francis, pushing back. "Excuse me, sir. You insult my cooking now? The nerve!" growled Arthur. "I believe it must be edible in order to be considered cooking mon cher," said Francis.

Alfred and Mattie glanced at each other. "Should we break them up?" asked Mattie quietly. Alfred looked at the fighting avians. "Um...everything alright guys?" he asked. Arthur and Francis freeze and immediately jump back from each other, looking flustered and a tad bit embarrassed.

"Everything's fine! We get into spats every once and a while but it's usually nothing to be worried about," said Francis cheerfully. Arthur scowled. "Don't tell them that. They'll think we're crazy. Besides, you always start them," he said. Francis opened his mouth, but Matthew quickly jumped in.

"Thank you for the clothes Francis. You mentioned you had a messenger bird we could use?" he asked. Francis nodded and smiled. "I knew you two would look cute in those outfits. They bring out the color of your eyes. I'll call Pierre number four for you," he said, quickly whistling. "I knew it," muttered Arthur.

"Do you guys have any paper or anything to write with?" asked Alfred. Arthur nodded and quickly flew over to ledge further up, returning with the writing materials. He handed them to Alfred and cleared his throat "As for you two staying here, Francis and I were hoping that you would stay for a bit. We would love to get to know you and teach you a bit about our kind," he said.

"Really?!" asked Alfred. "Are you sure it won't be a bother? We wouldn't want to burden you two in any way…" trailed Matthew. Arthur smiled at them. "We've been searching for you two for years. Let me assure you that it wouldn't be a problem in any sense of the word," he said.

Matthew and Alfred looked at each other excitedly, having another mental conversation. Both boys turned aroudn with a smile. "We'd love to," they said in unison. Arthur smiled while Francis beemed. "That is magnifique! I shall cook anything you two want," he said, starting to ramble on about all the things he planned to do with them.

A white bird flew in and landed on Francis's shoulder. "Remember Alfred and Mathieu? They need you to deliver a message for them. Could you do that please?" he asked. The bird peeped and fluttered onto Matthew's shoulder, looking down at his back. Francis frowned. "That's rude Pierre. You can't ask him that way," he scolded the bird.

Alfred's mouth curled up at the corners. "What is he asking?" he asked, looking up from his writing. Francis sighed. "Pierre can be a bit of a gossip.." Arthur snorted. "Takes one to know one I suppose," he said. Francis glared at him. "He was curius about your wings," said Francis.

Mattie's face got pink. Francis whistled at the bird. The bird lowered its head bashfully before nuzzling Mattie's cheek. "I-It's fine," said Mattie, petting the bird on its head. Alfred stood up. "Finished the letter...Do you think one of us should go back and grab some of our stuff?" he asked his brother.

"Back where exactly?" asked Arthur. "The village. The one down in the valley," said Alfred, gesturing in the direction of the village, smearing ink on his arm as he does so. Arthur and Francis's eyes widen. "It is dangerous to go to the village… or anywhere near the humans," said Francis.

"Humans aren't that bad dude. They took us in and gave us a place to stay," said Alfred. Mattie frowned a little but nodded. "They're not all bad people. Some of them just aren't...as kind as they should be," said Matthew quietly. Arthur frowned.

"Matthew, look at what they did to your wings. How can you still say that?" he asked, his voice tinged with anger. "They didn't know about avians. We didn't know about them until we bumped into Tino," said Mattie, fidgeting a little.

Francis frowned. "...You didn't know about avians? What do you mean?" he asked. "We kinda thought I was the only one…" said Alfred, holding out a finger to Pierre and attaching the message to his leg. "The only one…" breathed Arthur. Both boys nodded. Alfred raised his hand and Pierre jumped off his finger, flying off.

Arthur opened his mouth but a sudden chirping noise rang out, confusing the twins for a second. Gilbird then landed on Francis's head, continuing to chirp. Arthur sighed. "I should have known that bugger would have sent Gilbird over. Tell Gilbert to fuck off," he said.

"Don't swear infront of les enfants!" said Francis, sounding incredulous. Arthur blinked. "My apologies. Mind my french," he said. "What does it have to be French?" said Francis, frowning. Mattie smiled while Alfred crossed his arms. "We're not babies," he said. "What does Gilbird say?" asked Mattie quickly.

Francis sighs. "Gilbert says he's sorry and he wants to throw you two an 'awesome' party." Arthur scowled. "First of all, he should apologize in person. What he did was unacceptable. Second, it's been one day since the attack. We haven't even shown the boys around," he said.

Francis nodded. "I'll tell him so," he said, turning to the bird. Gilbird peeped and jumped up, flying around the boys. He nuzzled Alfred's good wing and Matthew's arm before flying off. "What do you mean by show us around?" asked Alfred curiously.

"Well, last night we were too exhausted to show you two to your sleeping areas. Your rooms. Some of your belongings are still there. Perhaps they'll help you remember something," said Arthur. The boys' eyes widen. "That would be great dude! Where are our rooms?" asked Alfred.

Francis gestured to the ledge higher up that Arthur had gone into to get paper. "Up there, but there are some ladders from when you were young you two can use to get up there," he said, leading to the cavern he had gotten them clothes from.

Alfred and Matthew followed, finding themselves in a rustic looking home. The cavern opened up revealing a sitting area with bookshelves a few tasteful chairs and a rug. Branching off the cavern was a rustic looking kitchen area, filled with shelves, a wooden stove, and vases of flowers.

There were two doors off to the side of the sitting area. "Those are our rooms," nodded Arthur before gesturing to an older ladder that led up to another cave. "Your rooms are up there. We'll let you get settled in. I'm going to put a kettle on the fire," said Arthur.

"How did you guys do this? The nordics lived in a giant cave. I don't think the villagers have figured out how to drill into stone like this! This is so cool!" said Alfred. "The naughty wizard boy here did it all with his magic. I of course helped with the interior decorating," said Francis.

Arthur scowled. "How many times have I told you to stop calling me that?" he said. "I thought avians prefered the outdoors. Usually I have to nag Alfred off of the roof of our house when it's dark," said Matthew. Alfred snorted. "Like you haven't camped out with me a few times," he said.

Arthru scoffed. "Just because we're part bird doesn't mean we have to degrate ourselves to sleeping in the dirt. We can enjoy nature in a more civil way," he said, crossing his arms. "That's why we have all that space outside. Eyebrows has managed to enchant that area," said Francis.

"Enchant? Dude, can we do magic too?" asked Alfred. Arthur blinked. "Y-You want to learn magic? ...Perhaps I can show you a few tricks some time. And yes, the outdoor area up to the other side of the creek has magical boundries. It keeps us hidden from hunters, turns back predators, and can protect us from the elements," said Arthur.

"You two go on up and make yourselves at home. I shall make lunch," said Francis. "I thought I said I was going to make lunch," said Arthur. "We just got the boys back. I don't want to lose them because you accidentally poisoned them," said Francis. Alfred and Matthew turned and climbed up the ladder while they were arguing.

The twins found themselves in a brightly light hallway with two pine doors marking two rooms. "Which room's which?" asked Matthew. Alfred shrugged, wincing at the movement. "I guess we just open the door and see which personality it seems to fit," he said.

Matthew nodded and opened a door, revealing a sunny cave filled with red, white, blue, and starry clothes with drawings of stars and planets decorating the walls. There was a stuffed eagle toy on the bed and a set of wooden soldiers on the dresser. "This one is yours," said Matthew without hesitating.

Alfred peeked his head in. "It does seem really familiar...Is that a stuffed eagle?! It's totally awesome!" he said. Matthe smiled. "C'mon. Let's go see my room," said Matthew. Alfred nodded and followed his brother.

Matthew opened the second door and looked around. There were drawings of a bird family decorating the walls along with some old maple leaves. There was a nest area with red and white covers along with some stuffed toys laying around it. Mattie smiled. It was cute.

"My room is better," said Alfred, sticking his tongue out. Mattie frowned. "It's not a contest Alfred. At least my room is tidier," he said. Al grinned. "I'm gonna go back to my room and look around. Holler if you need something," he said before racing back to his room. Matthew rolled his eyes.

Matthew started looking around his room, pausing at the drawings that were scattered on the walls. There were two older birds that looked like Francis and Arthur. Arthur was holding the hand of a blue-eyed boy with a hair sticking up. Francis was holding the hand of another boy with wings, this one with a curl and violet eyes.

Matthew swallowed. Both of the little boys had wings. One had brown wings streaked with different shades of russett and gold. The other, the one with the curl, had similar wings but instead of gold his wings were streaked with grey. There was a knock on the door. "May I come in Mathieu?" called a french accented voice.

"O-Oui," replied Matthew, quickly wiping his eyes. He hadn't been aware he had started teariing up until the knock. Francis let himself in, carying a tray with soup, crackers, and a sandwich. Francis froze a little when he saw Mattie's puffy eyes before realizing he was standing in front of a picture of them as a family, staring at the little boy with violet eyes and wings.

Francis quickly set the tray on the dresser and put his arms around Matthew. "Je suis un peu désolé. It must be horrible. I should have come quicker. I could have stopped it. Je suis tellement désolé," he said. To Francis's surprise, Matthew hugged him back. "I-I'm sorry...Je suis juste un gros bébé," he said.

Francis chuckled. "Non. You are not un gros bébé. You're taking this all a lot better than I would if I were in your shoes. It is a big shock, mon chou. I promise that we love you with or without your wings. It was hard to have you gone for so long," he said, squeezing the boy.

Matthew swallowed. "B-But I won't be able to do the things you guys can do. I-I'll always have to be carried or find another way to get to places. I-I'll just be something weighting you guys down," he said.

Francis shook his head. "We are une famille. You will not be holding us down. Families are meant to help each other and that's exactly what we will do. Matthew, you should never be ashamed of yourself for something you couldn't control," he said. Matthew hugged him tightly. "M-Merci…"

Francis smiled, waiting for the boy to pull away. When he did, Francis waved a hand to the food. "I brought you some lunch. I know it's not much, but I hope you enjoy it. Arthur is gong to be coming up with some tea and scones, so I thought you should have something edible before he ruins your appetite," he said.

Alfred was fingering the wooden soliders when someone knocked on the door. "Come in," he said. Arthur came in carrying a tree with a cup of tea and some rocks on it. Alfred blinked. Why did he bring rocks with him? Arthur set the tray on a book shelf and smiled at the soldiers.

"I made them for you you know. They were for your birthday," said Arthur. Alfred smiled softly. "I kinda remember that...You broke your hand making them. You made each one with a different face," said Alfred, glancing at him to see if he remembered correctly. Arthur smiled warmly. "That's correct...Francis was away the day I broke my hand and wasn't around to heal it," he said.

Alfred grinned. "I suppose you're a bit of a klutz like me," he said. Arthur rolled his eyes. "I'm not that bad. Do you and your brother remember very much?" he asked. Alfred shrugged. "We remember your voices. I remember someone giving me piggy back rides and playing with me. Nothing that would have actually helped us track you down," he said.

"Did you remember our names or faces?" asked Arthur curiously. Alfred shook his head. "I remember green eyes and your bushy eyebrows and Francis's stubble from when he would kiss Mattie and I good night," he said. Arthur struggled to keep his eye from twitching at the mention of his eyebrows.

"I see. So you didn't remember us having feathers or anything? What was the village like? Avians typically have never been around humans for as long as you two have been," said Arthur. Alfred shifted, rubbing his injured wing.

"The villagers...Well, it's like Mattie said. Some of them were really nice. They treated us kindly and took us in. The village healer was willing to drop whatever she was doing if she wasn't with another patient to help me. The village elder was quick to make it clear that we shouldn't be harrased or anything," said Alfred.

"But the others weren't as kind. Tell me what happened lad," said Arthur, handing him a tea cup. Alfred took it and let Arthur lead him to the nest/bed. "Well, we aged slower than the others...We have had three generations of a family take care of us as we got older. It was hard to see them die. We were also stronger than the others and faster.

"Mattie was really shy and sometimes people would pick on him because of it. Don't worry though, I always got them to back off. The accepted us, but it was easy to tell we weren't like them. Some of them would give us a wide berth," said Alfred, sipping the tea.

"Try some of these. You used to love my scones as a child," said Arthur, passing him one of the 'rocks' with a smile. Alfred hesitantly took it and bit into it, doing his best not to make it look like he was about to puke. "T-They're great Arthur," he lied, not wanting to hurt his feelings. Arthur's face brightened.

"Thank you. I knew the frog was lying when he said they tasted like charcol," he said, accurately describing what the scone tasted like. Arthur's tone became serious. "I'm not sure if you remember, but when Mattie was trying to convince you to let us heal you, you said you were afraid we would be mean like the villagers are," said Arthur.

Al's face went a little red. "W-Well. Sometimes the villagers would throw things at me or try to pull feathers from my wings. The kids especially. B-But it's no big deal. Mattie always went with me to the market to help keep an eye out for anyone that tried to get a feather," he said. Arthur's face went red with anger.

"They did what?!" he asked, making Alfred jump and wince at the movement. "It's fine Arthur. Really. It doesn't even bug me. I'm used to it by now," said Alfred quickly, lying. Arthur frowned. "Alfred, wings are only meant to be touched by those you care deeply about. Having them pull your feathers out...Surely you know how terrible that is," he said.

"T-They normally just did it when I was molting. It's not like I was using those feathers anyways," lied Alfred, shifting his good wing in front of him. He wasn't expecting Arthur to get so angry. Arthur knitted his brows together, about to ask something when Francis came in.

"Mon cher, your food has upset the boy. I brought the main course!" he said, happily, placing the tray on the dresser and taking Arthur's tray off the shelf and handing it to him. In reality, Francis had felt Arthur become angry and Matthew said he thought Alfred was upset about something.

Arthur blinked as the tray of scones was thrusted into his arms. "But I-" Francis waved a hand. "Why don't you go talk to Mathieu? You haven't had much time with him since they got here," said Francis. Arthur scowled at him but turned and left.

When he was gone, Francis turned back to Alfred. "Are you alright mon chou? I'm sorry if he got upset with you. Arthur has a short fuse some times," he said. "I-I'm fine. Don't worry about it bro," said Alfred, forcing a grin. Francis raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

"Here. I'm sure you're hungry, that is if Arthur's scones haven't ruined your appetite," said Francis. Alfred smiled and thanked him, sitting down and starting to eat the soup. "How is your wing? Does it still hurt?" asked Francis. "It's fine considering. It does hurt a little time from time, but it's nothing unbearable," said Alfred.

Francis smiled, sitting next to him. "You're a good cook," said Alfred with his mouth full. Francis smirked. "Oui. Thank you mon cher. I gather you didn't tell Arthur that his scones were less then plesant, did you?" he asked. Alfred shook his head. Francis smiled.

"You two would never tell Arthur. When you boys were younger, you used to hide the scones in a napkin or pretend to love them to make Arthur happy. I, of course, would reward you boys for your bravery with some macroons," said Francis.

Alfred smiled before frowning a little. "You're French and Artie's English right? Mattie's Canadian and I'm American. Why is that?" he asked. Francis pet his head. "Well, it's a long story but you boys were found in seperate places. You had gotten separated somehow during some storm," he said.

Alfred's mind flashed back to a windy, snowy landscape. "I guess that make sense. Tino said something about how flocks would adopt fledglings if they were abandoned. So you and Artie aren't actually related to us then?" asked Alfred.

Francis shrugged. "Non, I never said that. We just happened to find you boys there. It could be that one of our parents are also your parents. It's too complicated. Don't worry about it. Many avians can't be a hundred percent sure unless you're Emil or Ludwig. Their parents made sure they had an older sibling nearby."

Alfred's face fell a little. He had been hoping to know for sure who their family was. Francis smiled and gave him a hug. "Mon lapin, don't look so down. You found us. We could be a family again," he said. Alfred leaned into the embrace. "How is Mattie?" he asked. Francis smiled. "Your brother is fine. He was admiring the maple leaves in his room when I left," he said.

Alfred smiled slightly. "He was worried about you too. You two are very close, non?" asked Francis. Alfred nodded. "We were the only thing we had. He was the only one in the village that could keep up with me and I didn't out live. We're kinda stuck with each other," he said.

Francis wrapped an arm around Alfred and hugged him. "Mon petite, it makes my heart glad to hear you two stuck together. You two have always been close. You were quite the rambunctious child. Anytime Mattie got in trouble it was usually because you convinced him to join you in your little plans," he said.

Alfred laughed. "That sounds about right. Mattie was the one who had to drag me to the healer everytime I tried a new trick," he said. Francis smiled. "Eat the rest of your food. I'm going to see about making some dessert," he said, giving Alfred a quick squeeze and leaving the room.

Arthur was leaning against the wall when Francis came out carrying the empty tray. Francis frowned slightly. "What happened with you two? The poor thing looked close to crying," he said. Arthur balled a fist. "He was telling me about the villagers. He told me that they used to pull feathers from his wings before claiming that it only happened when he was molting," he said.

Francis nearly dropped the tray. "Porquoi? Why would they do such a thing?" he asked. Arthur scowled. "I don't know, but I know he was trying to hide how bad they were to him. I intend to get him to tell me so I could go to that village and set some things straight," he said.

Francis put a hand on his shoulder. "Don't do anything too rash Angleterre. Let him tell you all the details before you pay a visit. And if you do pay a visit, don't forget to invite me along," he said. Arthur smirked. "Aye. I suppose you have a point or two. I'll go and talk to Matthew then. I bet he misses my scones," he said. Francis shuddered. "Those poor boys."

 **Thank you for all the reviews! You guys are so sweet! It's really nice to hear from you guys. Due to Spring Break, this story will be on hiatus for a week. DON'T WORRY, I'LL POST AGAIN NEXT WEEK!**


	9. Chapter 9:How We Came Together

Matthew looked up when he saw Arthur. "H-Hello Arthur….What are the rocks for?" he asked. Arthur's eyebrow twitched. "They're scones. I used to make them all the time for you and your brother. Would you care for some as dessert? I also brought you up some tea," said Arthur.

"Um…" Mattie hesitated before taking one of the scones to be polite. Arthur smiled so brightly when Mattie took a bite that he had to force himself to smile. "T-These are great…" he lied. Arthur grinned. "Why thank you. Now, why don't you tell me a little more about the village," he asked.

Matthew sighed. "Is that why Alfred got upset? Because you asked him about the village?" he asked. Arthur nodded. "Yes...I got a bit upset when I heard that they pulled feathers out of his wings," he said slowly, not sure if Mattie would tell him anything. Mattie blinked.

"What?! He never told me that! I only knew about them throwing rocks. I thought that was why he wanted me to go with him to the markets," said Mattie angrily. Arthur sat next to him. "I'm sorry. I've made you upset as well. Why don't you tell me about yourself? Have you and your brother gotten any schooling?" asked Arthur.

Mattie nodded. "We finished about thirty years ago. Alfred and I still go every once in a while to keep our minds sharp," he said. Arthur smiled. "I'm glad to hear that. I used to read to you boys when you were younger. Do you remember that?" he asked. Matthew smiled. "I remember some stories about knights and fairies," he said.

Arthur's smile widened. "Yes, yes! You boys would cuddle up next to me and get so excited for what would happen. I remember Alfred used to want to be the hero of every story. When you two played together, he would be a knight or something of the sort and you'd be his, as he said, 'loyal sidekick'," he said, laughing a little.

Mattie rolled his eyes. "He still has a hero complex. I'm the idiot who has to keep him from breaking his neck," he said. Arthur laughed. "I'm not surprised. Alfred did come up with a lot of stunts. I remember he'd convince you to climb trees with him and he once managed to get the two of you stuck. I had to fly up and grab you two," he said.

Mattie smiled and hesitated. "Arthur, did I ever actually fly? Y-You know, with my own wings?" he asked. Arthur smiled at him sadly. "I'm sorry lad. You managed to get yourself a few feet off the ground but nothing much more. If we needed to travel, Francis and I would carry you two. In fact, I'm surprised Alfred knows how to use his wings. We never taught him."

Arthur put a hand on the younger boy's back. "Matthew, I am so sorry for what happened to you. W-We tried so hard to prevent it. Francis and I will explain after dinner, but know that none of this was your fault. You didn't deserve to have your wings taken away. You're welcomed in our flock, in our family, no matter what," he said.

Matthew blinked and smiled. "I've been looking for you guys for years...Alfred didn't believe there was anyone else like him out there...I'm glad I didn't give up. I-I wouldn't mind staying if you and Francis d-don't mind," he said.

Arthur opened his mouth when Francis came bursting in, rushing at Matthew with a hug. "Oh mon petite that would be quite wonderful! I missed having mon infantile. I will cook for you every night and buy you clothes and I would love to show you the markets and have you travel with me!" said Francis.

"Frog! Were you listening through the door this whole time?!" asked Arthur with a slight smirk. "Oui and it was quite worth it. I have no regrets!" said Francis, squeezing the daylights out of Matthew. Arthru smirked. "As you can see, we have absolutely no qualms about you returning home," he said.

Matthew practically beamed, hugging the two of them. "Do you think your brother might stay?" asked Arthur when the french gushing quieted. Matthew hesitated. "I don't know. Alfred can get overwhelmed with this type of stuff easily. He would hate it if we pushed him too much…" he said.

Francis nodded while Arthur frowned. "I suppose we'll just have to work to convince him indirectly," he said. Francis blinked, grinning. "We can show him the market. I'm sure he'd love it. They both would. Besides, they could use some things if they plan on staying for a while," he said.

Arthur nodded. "It would be a good chance for him to meet the others. That, and I do need to pick up some ingredients for some potions I'm working on," he said. "Potions...Lukas said you just manipulate natural energy," said Matthew, confused.

Arthur smiled. "I do...but there's different ways of manipulating that energy. I actually sell potions from time to time at the market," he said. Francis nodded. "While I sell clothing and baked goods," he said. Mattie nodded.

"Alfred and I usually do chores for other people. Alfred doesn't really like the markets but he's known to build things or invent things and would sell them off to people who were interested in them. I help him with his bigger ideas and sometimes dabble on my own. Usually I just taking care of sick animals," he said.

Alfred ran into the room, wincing a little as he jostled his injured wing. "Francis, your bird came back," he said, waving a letter. Matthew jumped up. "What did they say?" he asked. Alfred's face became a bit stormy. "We're in trouble," he said. Matthew sighed. "They figured it out?" he asked.

"Figured what out?" asked Arthur. "That we left the village boundries...It's illegal for anyone to leave the village to go to the mountains. They sent someone to Carlos's house and he apparently covered for you and left me out to dry. Figures," he said. Mattie frowned. "Well if you two need to stop fighting so much," he said.

Alfred made a face. Arthur quickly jumped in. "If you two like, we could go fishing in the creek. I-" he was cut off by a brown bird hitting him in the back of his head. "Bloody hell!" he yelped, jumping. Alfred snorted and Mattie held back a smiled. "It looks like your brothers have a message for you mon chere," said Francis with a smirk.

"Now of all times? You two go on. I need to remind this bird of how to properly greet someone," mumbled Arthur angrily. Alfred grinned. "Sure. C'mon Mattie!" he said, grabbing his twin's arm and dragging behind him. Mattie rolled his eyes, happy to see his twin had some of his energy back after the past few days.

The boys climbed their way down to the creek, Mattie beating Alfred at their little foot race. "Not fair dude. I'm still aching from falling out of the sky," said Alfred. "I fell out of a tree! I'm hurting too," argued Matthew half-heartedly. Alfred rolled his eyes and walked into the creek.

Mattie followed, carefully rolling his pants up first. Alfred let his good wing trail in the water. "What do you think of them dude?" he asked, gesturing to the caves where Francis and Arthur were. "They're nice. They seem to care a lot about us," said Mattie. Alfred opened his mouth when he froze.

"Do you hear something?" he asked. Mattie paused, listening quietly. "T-There's something growling nearby," said Alfred. "B-But we shouldn't worry. Arthur has magical boundries up. We'll be fine," said Matthew. Alfred opened his mouth when a lumbering bear came out of the forest and tackled Matthew.

"Mattie!" shouted Alfred, running forward. The bear ignored Alfred, nuzzling Matthew. Alfred tried to push the bear off of his brother. The bear looked up and growled at him before pushing him outside the boundry. There was a splash as Alfred landed by the water.

"And second of all, I know you're Allistair's bird but must you really behave like him? You should-" he froze, feeling an electric tingle go up his spine. Francis paused in his baking, looking up. "Is there something wrong Arthur?" he asked. Arthur shot up, already running toward the creek. "Alfred went through the boundry. He's afraid," he shouted back. Francis set the cake on the counter and ran, apron stil on, as he heard a shout from the creek.

Alfred yelped as an eagle flew out of the forest and swooped down at him and a rabbit bounced onto his stomach. "Alfred?!" asked Matthew, struggling to find his brother from his position under the massive polar bear. The bear kept licking his face excitedly.

Alfred laughed as the bird jumped up onto his shoulder and nuzzled his face. "I'm fine dude. Are you okay?" he asked, not getting a vicious vibe from the animals. "I'm okay...This bear won't stop licking me," he smiled.

"BOYS!" shouted a british voice. There was a splash as the older avians slid down the hill and fell into the creek. Alfred looked up, laughing his head off. "We thought you were in trouble. I see you have found your bonded animals again. Or I assume, they found you," said Francis, getting up and wringing out his apron.

Arthur huffed but smirked as he saw Matthew squirm under the bear, who had not stopped licking him despite the interruption. "Okay Kuma. I think that's quite enough. I'm sure Matthew misses you as well, though he may not remember you as well," he said. The bear sighed and climbed off of Matthew.

"Alfred, come back into the boundries before more animals come to attack you," said Francis, trying to fix his hair. "Wait, we have animals too?" said Mattie. Arthur and Francis nodded. "That's so cool! I've always wanted an eagle! And a rabbit," said Alfred, picking up the bunny and carrying the eagle on his shoulder as he walked into the boundries.

Francis smiled. "I suppose they sensed you here and made their way to see you again. Last time we saw them, they were going back to North America. Arthur smirked, crossing his arms. "Which was quite alright with me. Alfred had a habit of bonding with every animal he came across," said Arthur.

Alred grinned, scratching the eagle behind it's head. "What's his name?" asked Alfred. Arthur's wings sagged as he realized that Alfred and Matthew no longer remembered how to actively use their bond. Francis put a hand on his shoulder. "The eagle's name is Sammy and you named the bunny Cinnabun. The bear's name is Kumajiro," said Francis.

Alfred grinned, petting the bunny. "Do you two not remember them?" asked Arthur. Alfred shook his head. Mattie hesitated. "I remembered carrying a bear around when I was little. I could never remember its name though," he said. Francis smiled. "You both were a bit forgetful of each other's name," he said.

Alfred grinned and set the bunny down. "So how do we communicate with them?" he asked. "You have to concentrate on your connection with them. If I remember correctly, Kuma was a bit more talkative than your animals Alfred. You tended to do all the talking," said Arthur. "Still does," muttered Matthew.

Alfred stuck his tongue out at his brother. Francis rolled his eyes. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have some baking to do. Arthur made me think you two were being murdered," he said before flying off back to the cave. Arthur made a face, blinking when he was hit in the head by the brown bird again.

"I can see why Allistair bonded with you," he huffed, turning to take the bird into his hands. "Who's Allistair?" asked Matthew. "My brother. He heard you two have returned and wants to come down with my other brothers," he mumbled.

The bird bumped bumped his nose. "And my other brothers are coming as well," grumbled Arthur. "You don't sound very happy about it," said Matthew, crawling out from under the bear. Arthur sighed. "I'm the youngest of the family. They get on my back over everything the bloody tossers," he said.

Arthur muttered something to the bird before letting it fly away. "I told them to wait a few days. I don't want to overwhelm you boys," he said. "Dude, don't worry about us. We're perfectly fine," said Alfred, wincing when the bunny brushed up against his injured wing. Arthur frowned.

"Is your wing still bothering you? I can heal it if you'd like," he offered, brushing a hand among the feathers hesitantly. Alfred shook his head. "Maybe later on tonight since it knocked you out last time. What are your brother's like?" he asked. Alfred rolled his eyes. "Loud bothersome drunks that are quite obnoxious. Only Rhys has a lick of sense among them," he said.

"We wouldn't mind meeting them if you're okay with it Arthur," said Matthew. Arthur shook his head. "Get yourselves settled in before they come and disturb us all," he muttered, stretching out his wings. Alfred blinked, noticing a large foot long jagged scar across Arthur's left wing.

"By the way Alfred, Francis and I were telling your brother that we were thinking of taking you to an avian market up on the mountains. I thought you might be interested in seeing a bit more of our culture. We also need to get you two boys some toiletries while we're at it," said Arthur.

Alfred grinned. "That sounds like fun." Arthur nodded, smiling. "I'll be sure to get some of the potions I'm planning on selling ready to go then," he said, flapping his wings and taking off. Alfred glanced at Matthew. "Did you see it too?" he asked. Matthew nodded. "I wonder what happened….but we probably shouldn't ask," his twin answered.

Alfred nodded, frowning. A flash of blood and feathers appered in his mind. Matthew frowned. "Is everything alright?" he asked. Alfred forced a smile. "Yeah dude. Hey, can you talk to your bear at all?" he asked. Matthew blinked and looked down at the bear.

"Hello Kumajojo. Do you remember me?" he asked. "Who are you?" said the bear, tilting his head. "I'm Matthew," said Mattie, looking a bit stunned. Alfred grinned. "Dude, I heard it too. But I think it's name is Kumajiro," he said. "S-Sorry aboot that," said Matthew. "I want pancakes," replied the bear.

Alfred smirked. "It's definitely your spirit animal," he said. Matthew rolled his eyes and pointed at the bunny. "And I'm sure that's yours," he said. Sammy cawed angrily, making both boys flinch. "I don't think Sammy appreciated that," said Alfred smuggly.

Matthew shifted. "Do they come back to the caves with us or do we let them run in the forest?" he asked. Alfred frowned, bending down to concentrate on Cinnabun. "So um Cinna dude. Do you want to stay with me or in the forest?" he asked mentally, thinking that would be the best way to communicate with the bunny.

The bunny wiggled its tail and sent back a picture of a clearing filled with flowers before running off. Alfred stood up. "Well I guess that answers that. What about you Sam?" he asked. The bird cawed, nuzzling Alfred. Alfred grinned. "Guess you're staying with me," he said happily.

Matthew smiled. The boys headed up the hill a few hours later, Sammy nipping playfully at Alfred's ear and Kuma nuzzling Matthew's hands as they walked. Francis greeted them in the at the enterance of the caves with some homemade treats for the animals. "Arthur told me we'd be having extra guests," he said.

"I hope you two are hungry because I fixed up a big meal. Arthur is starting a fire outside. Go ahead and make yourselves comfortable. I shall be out shortly," said Francis. "Are you sure you don't need any help?" asked Matthew. Francis smiled and shook his head. "I have this under control. Just make sure that Arthur doesn't burn himself out there," he said.

The boys made their way to where Arthur was putting some logs onto the fire. Arthur smiled at them, gesturing to where a few blankets had been brought out. "Go ahead and settle in. We might be up talking for a bit, so I brought some pillows and blankets in case we decide to sleep out here," he said.

Francis came out, juggling a tray of food and a pitcher. He handed them to Arthur and left once more to return with more food. "I made chicken. I hope you boys enjoy it," he said. "It looks great," said Matthew. "It tastes great," said Alfred, already digging into his meal. Francis smiled while Arthur rolled his eyes, restraining himself from making a remark.

As they started eating, the atmosphere became a bit awkward as no one said anything or much less glanced at each other for fear of crossing an unnamed boundry. "So you said you guys were going to tell us about how we got separated and everything?" said Alfred, deciding that the awkwardness was worse than anything they would say.

Arthur choked as he accidentally swallowed his meal wrong. "O-Oui…How much do you boys remember of that night?" asked Francis, ignoring Arthur as he tried to regain his composure. Matthew and Alfred shook their heads. "N-Not much," said Matthew. "Just glimpses of things happening, nothing else," said Alfred.

"What do you remember?" asked Arthur. "Being afraid...A fight...Nothing really distinct," said Alfred, not elaborating. Francis and Arthur frowned. Both of them could feel that Alfred was holding back something that he was upset about. " _I'll see if I can get him to talk to me about it later. For now we should just leave him be,"_ said Arthur to Francis using the bond.

" _Perhaps we should just wait until the boys come to us about it. We don't want to make him do anything he's not willing or ready to do yet,"_ responded Francis. "Is it the same for you Matthew or do you remember anything more?" asked Arthur, ignoring him. Matthew hesitated. "I-I remember someone hurting me. I can remember them cutting off my wings," he said.

Francis bristled, Arthur having to put a hand on his shoulder to keep him from going after a hunter that was most likely dead after all this time. Teary eyed, Francis hugged Matthew. "Je suis désolé," he said. "I-It's fine...It happened a long time ago," he said. Francis nodded, pulling away.

"Well, it's hard to say where we should start. I suppose we should first tell you how we found you, hmm?" said Arthur. The twins nodded, Mattie hugging Kuma tight and Alfred leaning forward in anticipation. "I found Matthew when he was très peu, about two years old in humans years. I was quite young, a teenager then, and had decided to go exploring," started Francis.

"Wait, we weren't found together?" interrupted Alfred, his fork halfway to his mouth. "Hush, let him tell the story," said Matthew, elbowing his brother. Francis shook his head. "I found Matthew in Canada when the land was very young. Arthur was the one who found you mon chou," he said.

"Anyways, when I found you Mathieu, you were so shy and frightened with only Kuma here to keep you company. I almost missed you when I flew over. It was only because you were wearing a red ribbon around the neck of your white nightgown that I thought I saw something.

"It was snowing when I found you, so I had trouble finding you even when I was on the ground. It did not help that you were hiding from me when I did land. It wasn't until I heard you that bear of yours asking to be fed that I found you hiding behind a snowbank. You were so cute I just knew I had to take you in and take care of you. You were only un bébé. A cute one at that. I could not just leave you there," said Francis.

Matthew's face went pink and he quickly took another bite of his chicken. "Oooh what about me?!" asked Alfred excitedly. Arthur smiled warmly as he remembered. "I found you in America. It was actually in the spring, a few months after Francis found Matthew, that I found you. Believe it or not, when I found you you were riding bison hoping to find your brother," he chuckled.

"That sounds awesome," said Alfred at the same time Matthew said, "That sounds like him." Arthur nodded. "I was terrified that you were going to get hurt. I pulled you off that beast and led you to my camp by promising you sweets. That night, you had a nightmare and I let you sleep with me under my blanket and I knew I was going to have to be a good guardian for you," he said, trying to smoothen Al's cowlick.

"But how did you guys find us in two separate parts of the world? Wouldn't Alfred and I stick together if our parents abandoned us or did they just abandon us in different parts of the world?" asked Matthew, sounding concerned at the idea of being separated from his twin at such a young age.

"From what we could understand, you two were abandoned on the border but a freak snowstorm caused you two to become separated. You two apparently have been on your own for at least a year before Francis and I came across you. It was just luck that you two were reunited into the same flock after being separated," said Arthur.

"So you two were a flock before we came along?" asked Alfred. Arthur scoffed while Francis made a face. "Perish the thought. We hated each other then and we hate each other now," said Arthur. Francis smirked. "We have what you call a love-hate relationship. But before you two were found, we were not in the same flock," he said.

"Then how did you two get together?" asked Matthew. "We've been rivals for many centuries before you two came along," said Arthur. "Oui, though as children we were what you called frenemies. I looked after Arthur when his brothers were away or unable to do so," said Francis.

"We didn't become a flock until we realized you two were brothers. Francis and I lived on neighboring moutains. It wasn't until I was flying home from the america's a few years later and you started squirming so badly I nearly dropped you that I suspected he had your brother. Francis and I were kinda competing at that time at who could explore of the New World faster," said Arthur, scratching the back of his neck.

Francis nodded. "Sadly Arthur won, using some dirty tricks," he said. "I won fair and square!" retorted Arthur, looking shocked that Francis would say that. Alfred quickly jumped, in seeing that they were going to get into another fight. "So how did the two of us get reunited?" he asked.

Arthur let go of Francis's shirt collar and quickly smoothed himself out. Francis let go of Arthur's shoulder and dropped his fist. "I landed on the mountain because you were close to tears, squirming as much as you could in hopes of landing. I kept asking you what was wrong that you told me you needed to find your brother," said Arthur.

Francis nodded. "Oui. The same thing happened with Mathieu. One moment we were sitting down for lunch and the next moment he was up and running as fast as his tiny legs could carry him away from the next. You were a well-behaved boy, so I was quite stunned that you would just get up and runaway. I chased after you and demanded an answer. Mathieu started crying, apoligizng. You told me that you just were exctied to see your brother," he said.

"It wasn't until you started running toward Francis's nest that I realized what was going on. Francis had sent Pierre to rub it into my face that he had found a new fledgling and was going to take care of it. I dreaded the idea of having to hang around Francis just so you could see you brother," said Arthur.

"Mathieu grabbed my hand and dragged me behind him. I was so caught up in how happy you two little ones in seeing each other again that I didn't realize you were Arthur's little brother until he told me that I shouldn't think that this was going to mean we would become friends," said Francis, chuckling. Arthur rolled his eyes.

"You two were so happy to find each other, introducing us right away. I was suprised that someone in Francis's care could be so shy. I still swear he tramatized you somehow. Anyways, you boys were so upset when I said that it was time for Alfred and I to return to our nest that Francis let us stay over for the night," said Arthur.

"And one night turned into a week. A week turned into a month. Eventually, the two of us decided to put our differences apart and stay together. After a few years, and some persuasion, we decided to become a flock," said Francis. Arthur crossed his arms. "We did it for your boys' best interest."

"Then why did you guys stay together after we were gone?" asked Alfred in a teasing tone. "It was necesity! One of us needed to be here if you came back. You would have gone to the nest and I was not going to let Francis be the one who greets you. Nor am I going to leave my nest. It was mine first," said Arthur.

Francis rolled his eyes. "If I left Arthur, he'd have to survive off his own cooking and I wouldn't wish that on anyone, not even him. He'd be lost without me," said Francis. "I beg to differ! I would have been perfectly fine! I've been on my own for decades before I found Alfred," said Arthur.

"Didn't you have a flock?" asked Matthew, putting his plate to the side. "My brothers and I don't have the best relationship. They tended to pull a lot of stunts at my expense. I was, am still I suppose, a part of their flock but I prefered my own isolation. It was splendid," said Arthur. Francis rolled his eyes. "You should put that in crossstitch mon chere. 'Splendid Isolation'," he said.

"What about you Francis?" asked Alfred. Francis shrugged. "I actually was cared for by my grandfather for a while with some siblings. I have two brothers from Italy and one from Spain. When I got old enough, I didn't really join a new flock. I was part of a trio of friends, but once I found Mathieu I didn't hang out with them as much. Gilbert was one of the trio," he said.

Alfred's feathers bristled at Gilbert's name. "That jerk's your friend?" he asked. Francis put a hand on Alfred's knee, reaching around the fire. "We are very good friends, but that doesn't make what he said to your brother right. Gilbert and I have gotten in fights before and this wouldn't be the last one," he said.

"Y-You got into a fight with him? B-Because of me?" asked Matthew. Francis and Arthur exchanged glances. "What did you guys do?" huffed Alfred, adjusting the splint on his right wing. "I may or may not have kind of...hit him… After Francis started shouting at him," said Arthur, face red.

Alfred facepalmed while Matthew sputtered. "You guys didn't need to do that. I'm not worth fighting over. He was just being a bully. He didn't know how I lost my wings. Tino already had to keep Alfred from punching him," he said. Arthur smiled. "Glad to know I raised him right," he said as Francis rolled his eyes.

"Don't worry about it Mathieu. We didn't hurt him that bad. Just one punch to the gut. He'll be fine. He deserved at least that much," said Francis. Matthew frowned but didn't argue. Alfred grinned. "I wish I was there to see it," he said. "Hopefully he learned his lesson," said Arthur, nodding.

"So how did we get separated...if you don't mind me asking?" said Matthew, fidgeting a little. Alfred squirmed too. His back was starting to ache from keeping his wings up. Arthur and Francis's faces fell. "Do you want to start or should I?" asked Francis. "I suppose I should," said Arthur, setting his plate down.

 **I'm BAAAACCCK!** **Hope you guys enjoy this chapter. I got some really good ideas for what's going to happen later on in this story so don't worry about the last hiatus. You should be more worried about the twins. *Cue evil laugh***


	10. Ch10:Alfred and Arthur Both Get Stubborn

The boys glanced at each other, setting their things down two. Alfred struggled to position his wings in a way that it didn't bother the brusing on his back. Matthew glanced at his brother and started rubbing his back carefully, hoping that it will help him settle down enough so their brothers wouldn't notice.

"You boys know about the boundries, correct? They've been here ever since I first started living here. They can keep strangers and any dangerous animals from entering our territory, but they cannot keep you safe if you step outside the boundries. This was something I made clear to you boys at a young age," said Arthur.

"And Alfred left them. That's what happened, isn't it?" said Matthew in a flat voice. Alfred glared at him. "It was no one's fault...but yes he did. If it was anyone's fault, it was mine," said Arthur, his voice full of remorse. Francis brushed his wings against Arthur's. "It's not your fault mon chere. No one knew that the hunter was so close," he said.

Arthur nodded. "It was still my fault he ran away...my fault that Matthew decided to leave with him," he said. "I ran away? Why?" asked Alfred. Arthur sighed. "I lost my temper and got angry with you, putting an incredible amount of pressure on you. It's quite a long story," he said. "We got time if you feel comfortable telling us," said Matthew nicely.

"Francis had left to go to the market to sell some goods that day. He left Matthew with me since he couldn't carry both the goods and Matthew as he flew. We've been arguing for a while. I spent the previous weeks flying to different markets or making house calls and not spending very much time with you.

"You were mad because once I got home, I had tried to give you homeschooling when I finally got home instead of actually spending time with you. One night, we got into a very heated argument and you ran away while I was sleeping. It wasn't until I felt Matthew go through the boundry that I woke up. He had gone after you in hopes of keeping you from leaving," said Arthur, his voice shaking slightly.

"So it was my fault all of this happened...that Mattie lost his wings," said Alfred, tearing up a little. Matthew instantly hugged his brother. "It wasn't your fault," he said. Arthur shook his head. "No it's my fault. It's entirely my fault. T-There were so many things I did wrong...so many things that I could have done to avoid that," he said.

"I-I stumbled out of the cave and blindly went to the part of the boundry I felt you two go through. I was still half asleep and was to angry that you two would disobey me to feel any reason to be concerned. I was blindly going down a trail that I thought you boys would have taken when I heard one of you start screaming," said Arthur, choking toward the end.

Francis rubbed Arthur's wing with his hand. "I-I started running toward the sound, not having enough room to stretch out my wings with the trees. T-The hunter was hunched over M-Matthew with a knife while another hunter looked on. I jumped at the hunter blindly, absolutely furious and terrified. He gave you to the other hunter before jumping at me with a knife."

"I managed to fight him off but the other hunter had already run off with you two. I got in the air and started chasing him but...the other hunter had injured me quite badly. I-I tried to fight it, but I had lost too much blood. I would have fallen to my death Francis hadn't seen me on his way home and managed to catch me," said Arthur.

Francis's face grew sorrowful. "I didn't know what had happened. All I saw was that Arthur was injured and completely terrified about something. I didn't even occur to me that you boys were in trouble. It wasn't until we were halfway back to the nest that Arthur had enough strength to tell me that someone had you."

I dropped Arthur at Lukas's nest, since it was closest to where we were at the time, and flew after the hunter. I almost had him while we were near the village, but he suddenly stopped and turned and ran. Some humans had come out and I went after him, but I lost him once I lost him in the foilage of the trees.

"There was nothing I could do if more humans had suddenly come out at me. I scoured the forest and the mountainside but never found you boys. We were both sure that if you boys were alive, it wouldn't be in the village filled with humans. It didn't make sense. I'm just glad that someone found you and took pity," he said.

"I-I'm so sorry boys. I-I failed you. Everything that happened that night was my fault. If I had woken up when Alfred left...If I hadn't been so tough or spent more time with you two. I-If I had been a split second faster," said Arthur, starting to sob. Alfred and Matthew scooted over to him and wrapped their arms around them.

"It wasn't your fault...I'm the brat who ranaway and started everything," said Alfred, crying a little. Arthur shook his head. "You were a child. You didn't know better. You only ranaway because I was being a twat," he said vehemently. "I don't blame any of you for what happened. You guys don't need to cry," said Matthew, hugging them both close.

Francis quickly got in on the hug fest, enveloping the three others with his arms and wings. "I should have been there. I should have never left you behind Matthew. It is my greatest regret," he said. They kept hugging each other until it became uncomfortable. Alfred was the first to pull away.

"I guess we're all being a bit sappy...If it's anyone's fault it's the hunters for coming after us to begin with," he said, wiping away a tear. Matthew nodded, giving his brother a second hug. "Besides, you tried to help me," he said. Francis's and Arthur's eyes widen. "I thought you two said you didn't remember anything," said Arthur.

"We remember bits and pieces," said Alfred hesitantly. Francis and Arthur glanced at each other, but Francis was the one who spoke. "We would like to hear what you remember, but in your own time of course. Besides, we're all cried out now oui? Why don't I get dessert and you two can tell us some of the happy stories you have. We missed out on so much of your lives. It'd be nice to share memories," he said.

The boys nodded and Francis got up and quickly left to go get the dessert. Arthur wiped his eyes, looking a bit embarrassed. Alfred grinned and quickly gave him a hug, nearly knocking him over. "Don't be so embarrassed dude. I never did get to thank you for helping my wing the other day and kicking that hunter's butt," he said.

Arthur chuckled. "I'm glad you're at least a little bit like the way I remember you. You're still that energetic happy-go-lucky boy I found on that bison," he said. Alfred grinned, letting go of him. "So you mentioned being a pirate before...I want to hear more about that," said Alfred eagerly.

Arthur chuckled. "Yes well, that was partially one of the ways I got to the New World and back. Once in awhile I come across some interesting humans and allow myself to go in disguise and live amongst them once in awhile. During that time, the captain's coats were the perfect way to cover my wings," he said.

Alfred grinned while Matthew looked concerned. "What if they found out about your wings?" asked Matthew. Arthur smiled. "I was their captain. To go against a perfectly good captain is mutiny. That and I could take to the sky before they could even comprehend the situation. Though I had some close calls. My first mate almost caught me pruning one time," he said.

"Speaking of pruning, I can't wait until my wing is out of the splint. All of the bandages messed up my feathers and it's really uncomfortable and itchy," said Alfred, squirming as he rubbed his bad wing. Arthur chuckled. "Once Francis gets back with dessert, I'll heal your wing and you can tell us more about how you learned to fly," he said.

Alfred's eyes widen slightly as he quickly glanced at Matthew. "Do I have to? Mattie likes to make fun of my flying," he said. "Because you fall out of the sky more than you fly," said Matthew snarkily. Alfred glared at him while Arthur looked on amused. "I definitely would like to hear about it now," he said.

Francis came back carrying a cherry dessert and rasied an eyebrow. "What did I miss?" he asked. "I was just telling the boys about our time as pirates," said Arthur. "And Alfred was going to tell you guys how he learned to fly," piped up Matthew much to his brother's dread.

Francis quickly served the dessert. "Mathieu be nice to your brother...though I would like to learn more about you he learned to fly. Normally, when fledglings' wings get to a certain strength we take them to a ledge and try to coax them to jump off. One of us would have been waiting under the ledge to catch you, hidden of course, if you weren't a quick learner," he said.

Matthew snorted. "You guys would have needed to install a net for Alfred then," he said before wincing when Alfred hit his arm. "Dude cut me some slack. I didn't have a clue of how to fly. George and Emma didn't think I could fly. Davie was the one who helped me convince them to let me try," he said.

"Who is Davie?" asked Francis. "George and Emma were the ones who found us. Davie was their son and the first person I made friends with," said Alfred, sounding a bit sad about his now long-dead friend. "But how did you learn to fly? Don't tell me you just jumped out of trees," said Arthur.

Matthew smirked as Alfred rubbed the back of his neck. "Actually, that's kinda what I did. I figured birds did it and that it couldn't have been that hard," he said. "You can't jump out of a tree without observing the proper flying techniques!" said Arthur. "I watched how the birds did it and figured out the rest through trial and error. It wasn't that bad!" said Alfred defensively.

"Alfred, how many times have I had to lug you down to the healer's cottage? You've broken so many bones it's surprising you have any left," said Matthew. "Four isn't that many! I'm not even going to count this time because that totally wasn't my fault," said Alfred, crossing his arms.

Both Francis and Arthur gawked. "Four bones? Sacre bleu, you poor thing," said Francis. "And Matthew lets you cart him around?!" said Arthur, stunned. "I'm not bad. Besides, usually I have to save him from falling off cliffs," said Alfred, trying to change the limelight to his brother.

"Wot?!" said Arthur, his eyes widening. "It's only happened five times. I overestimate how far I can lean forward, get startled, or distracted," said Matthew quietly, pouting a bit. "Besides, it's not like Alfred hasn't accidentally injured me. He's not the best at landing and sometimes he accidentally crashes into me," he said.

"I said I was sorry for breaking your wrist! I misjudged the air current!" said Alfred. Francis quickly butted in before this could become a fight. "Arthur and I would love to show you some tricks of the trade Alfred," he said nicely. "Before we show him anything, I better heal that wing up some more," said Arthur.

Alfred quickly finished the rest of his dessert. "You think you can make it so I can fly to the market tomorrow?" he asked. "We'll see. It may not be the best idea. Francis and I may need to help you," said Arthur. "Then who will carry Matthew?" asked Alfred. Kumajiro lifted his head. "I can carry him," he said in a cute voice before laying his head in Matthew's lap and nuzzling his leg.

Arthur smiled. "Now that that's all figured out, why don't you lay down so I can heal your wing a bit more," he said. Alfred nodded and carefully laid down, spreading his wing out so Arthur could heal it. Mattie scooted closer to his brother, ready to jump in in case Arthur or Francis started looking at Alfred's back.

Arthur took the splint off and started rubbing circles into it gently, the way he saw Matthew do it before. Alfred visibly relaxed, letting out a sigh. Mattie smirked. "He always has me rub his wings or his back everytime he got hurt," he said. "I feel better when you do," mumbled Alfred.

Matthew smiled. Francis did as well. "You were probably healing him healing him without thinking mon beau. Did you ever feel tired after?" he asked. Matthew nodded, laughing. "Yeah. One of the family members or the village healer would always find us asleep together in a heap," he said.

"I wish we could have been there to see that. It saddens me that you two don't remember us that well. I knew you two were young but I had hoped you would have remembered us. C'est ce que c'est. At least we have managed to find each other once more," said Francis, gently taking Matthew's arm so he could heal it as well.

Arthur smiled, focusing on Alfred's injuries. Once more, the soothing, cool sesnation filled Alfred's wing making him melt like butter. Arthur smirked as Alfred laid his head on his arm, eyelids starting to droop.

" _You are much like the way I remember you. You loved having your wings rubbed. After I would rub them you would always jump up and start hugging me, giggling,"_ he told Alfred mentally.

Alfred gave him a lazy grin. " _I've always wanted an older brother...Mattie and I constantly fight over who was born first. He thinks he's older just because he's more 'mature' and 'responsible',"_ he responded. Arthur blinked before smiling, happy that Alfred seemed to be getting used to the bond.

" _I hate to say it Alfie, but Mattie is older than you by about five minutes,"_ he said. " _YES! I TOLD YOU SO!"_ said Matthew, turning to stick his tongue out at his brother. Alfred groaned. "Now I'm never going to hear the end of this. He's gonna keep pulling the 'older brother' card," he said aloud.

"Well duh!" said Matthew. Francis and Arthur chuckled. "You have three older brothers who can do that...and maybe even more if Arthur's brothers decide to lay claim to you too," said Francis. Alfred groaned. Arthur pet his head before continuing to heal him. "Don't worry pet, I'm sure you can find some advantages to being the youngest. I was the youngest of four after all," he said.

Alfred mumbled something but laid his head back down, slowly drifting off to sleep. Arthur smirked. "Out like a light. At least that much hasn't changed," he said, tired. Francis finished with Mattie's arm. Mattie flexed it, hugged him, and crawled beneath his brother's better wing.

Francis smiled. "Oui. I'm glad to see that they haven't changed that much. I missed them," he said. Arthur nodded, swaying a little with exhaustion. "Go to sleep mon chere. I'll put the dishes away," he said. Arthur nodded and laid down where he was sitting next to Alfred, stretching a wing over his younger brothers.

Francis smiled as he looked over the three of them. He quickly cleaned up before laying down next to Matthew who immediately curled up next to him in his sleep.

Matthew squeaked when he woke up to find a bear sleeping across from him. Alfred yelped, startled awake, and his wings flew out and managed to smack both Francis and Arthur awake. Arthur and Francis shot up. "Que se passe-t-il? Qu'est-ce qui ne va pas?!" mumbled Francis, rubbing his eye where Alfred had hit it.

"S-Sorry…I forgot I had a pet bear...I wasn't expecting to wake up and find a bear laying next to me," said Matthew bashfully. Alfred winced, rubbing his sore wing. "Nice going dude. Way to wake us all up," he said. Arthur spat out a couple of Alfred's feathers. "Well I suppose since we're all up I'll put on a pot," he grumbled, getting up and heading toward the cave.

"Sorry for hitting your eye. You okay?" asked Alfred. Francis nodded, giving him a smile. "Don't mind Arthur. He isn't much of a morning person. I better go make breakfast. What would you boys like?" he asked. "Can you make pancakes?" asked Matthew, perking up. Francis nodded and flew up after Arthur.

Alfred stretched, flexing his wing. "Is it better?" asked Matthew, sitting up. Alfred nodded. "It's a little sore. I'm not sure how much strain I should put on it, but it's okay. My back is the only thing that still hurts. I think the hunter tore a muscle in my back," said Alfred, wincing as he tucked his wings back in.

Matthew gave him a worried look. "Maybe you should have them look at it afterall...or at least not try to fly for a while. That sounds like it could be serious," he said. Alfred frowned. "I'll be fine. After we get back from the market I'll take it easy. I just have to find a good reason not to fly for a few days without making them suspicious," he said.

"Make who suspicious of what?" asked Arthur, landing down next to the twins. Both twins jumped, having not realized he was coming toward them. "Make the village suspicious that we found others like us," said Alfred, lying easily. Arthur nodded. "it would be appreciated if less people knew we existed. Come along. Tea is ready," he said.

They boys nodded and walked into the caves, Arthur following behind. He may not know the boys as much as they used to, but the bond let him know that they were hiding something. He waited for them to sit down before focusing on Alfred. There was something off about him… Someone cleared their throat and he looked up to see Francis sneaking a curious glance at him while the boys were distracted with their meal. Arthur shook his head.

Francis raised an eyebrow but turned to fetch Matthew some syrup. "Are you boys ready to go to the market today?" he asked, not wanting to let the boys realize he suspected they were lying. They both nodded, excited but hesitant. "What's wrong mon chous? I would have thought you two would be more excited," said Francis.

"I guess we're kind of nervous...Do you think they'll get hostile or something because we're strangers and I…" Mattie trialed off. Francis gave him a hug. "Mon ami, we'll be there with you. Besides, surely Gilbert, the nordics, and Arthur's brothers have spread the word a little that you guys have returned," he said. Matthew nodded happily, digging into another pancake.

Alfred quickly snarfed his food down and jumped up. "I'm gonna go change clothes real quick. Is it okay if I bring Sammy with us too?" he asked. "I don't see why not. Matthew is bring Kuma with him," said Arthur. Alfred nodded before leaving the kitchen. Arthur waited for Alfred to leave. "Is there something wrong with your brother?" he asked.

Matthew choked a little before putting on a smile. "I think he's just a little sore. Why?" he asked. "I was just curious. Is it his back that's bothering him? Francis or I could take a look at it," he offered. Arthur spotted a flash of panic in Matthew's eyes. "I'm sure his back is fine. It was his wing that was hurting the most," Matthew lied, feeling bad for doing so.

Arthur opened his mouth, ready to ask more questions when Matthew jumped up. "I'm going to go and see what Juma is doing. Call me when you guys are ready to go," he said, rushing out of the cave. Francis leaned against a counter. "That was strange, even for you. What is going on?" he said.

"The boys are hiding something. I heard them talking about making 'them' suspicious. When I asked them who, they lied and said it was the villagers. I also feel something off about Alfred," said Arthur, taking a sip of tea. Francis raised an eyebrow. "What did I say about pestering them? You're going to scare them off," he said.

"Francis, Matthew just lied to us. He only lies when Alfred is in serious trouble or something," Arthur pointed out. Francis sighed. "I suppose you're right…There's something about his back that he doesn't want us to see. Something about his injury is making him very skittish," he said.

"I intend to find out what that something is," said Arthur, turning to wash the dishes. Francis sighed. "Can you please at least wait until after we come back? Or better yet, until tomorrow? We had such a lovely day planned out. I don't want you ruining it for us," he said Arthur scowled. "Fine."

When they were done cleaning up the kitchen, Alfred came running down, Sammy perched on his shoulder. "Are we ready to go? Also, what kind of currancy do you guys use? Sammy managed to get to the village and fetch some of Mattie and I's things," said Alfred. "Don't worry about it. Francis and I want to treat you," said Arthur with a smile.

Alfred was about to say something when he felt something furry bump the back of his legs. He turned to find Mattie petting Kuma. "Francis said we were leaving soon?" he said. Alfred gave him a confused look. "Through the bond mon chere. Let me go fetch my things. Arthur, do you need me to bring you your cloak?" asked Francis.

The twins gave Matthew a confused look. "I use it when I'm running my stand. People are more likely to buy potions from someone who looks mysterious," huffed Arthur. Alfred smirked. "Afraid your eyebrows would scare off customers?" he teased. Arthur crossed his arms. "My eyebrows are perfectly fine. If anything, they attract customers."

Francis gawfed, unable to hold in his laughter. "Yes, they're wondering what exotic monsters you managed to tame and use as replacements for your eyebrows," he said. "If you don't bugger off I'm going to summon a ghost that'll make sure your hair is constantly messy," said Arthur threatenly. Francis gasped. "You wouldn't dare!"

Before the two can break out into a fight Matthew quickly jumped in. "How far away is the market? It's not too far is it?" he asked. Francis broke the glaring contest the two were having. "Non. It'll be about a thirty minute flight is all," he said. Matthew glanced worredly at his brother who gave him a look.

"Let's go!" said Alfred, smacking the back of Mattie's head so subtly with his good wing. Arthur blinked. "I almost forgot...Matthew, since you'll be going through the forest hunters might be able to spot you. I'm not sure how kindly they'll take to a young man riding a polar bear through the forest, especially if they realize he's following some avians. Just give me a jiff," he said, quickly leaving the room.

The twins gave Francis a questioning look, who shrugged. "Don't look at me. Arthur tends to drift into his on little world every now and again," he said. Arthur came back with a string that had a pouch haning from it. "Wear this around your neck. It'll keep you from being noticed by hunters. It'll work until we get home," he said.

Matthew took it with a small smile, tying it around his neck. "Thanks Artie," he said. Arthur gave him a warm smile. "Yes, well I suppose we all should get going," he said, before leading them over to the ledge. Matthew lagged behind his brother, giving him a worried look.

" _Alfred, if you won't let them heal it would you let me?",_ he asked. Alfred blinked before grinning at his twin. " _Why didn't I think of that? That's perfect Mattie!"_ he responded. Mattie smiled. " _I'll take care of it after we get back...It's too late to do it now. Just hang in there okay?"_ said his brother. Alfred nodded.

When they got to the ledge, Kuma lumbered in front of Mattie and laid down so he could climb on. Mattie's face broke out into a smile once he found himself ontop of the polar bear. "Kuma says he's going down a different path. He says he'll look for you when he's not climbing anything," said Mattie. They nodded and he and Kuma wandered off.

Arthur cleared his throat. "Francis and I will jump down first, just in case your wing isn't ready to carry any weight on it yet," he said. Alfred sighed. "I'm not a baby…" he said. "We never said you would. It is just logical that we would go first since we know where we're going, oui?" said Francis, jumping off the cliff.

Arthur patted Alfred's shoulder before stretching his wings and jumping as well. The two older avians positioned themselves beneath the ledge, ready to catch Alfred in case his wing gives. "Alright. You can jump now," said Artie. Alfred swallowed and let his wings unfurl, stretching them out before jumping off.

He could feel himself blanch a little as the movement jolted the sore muscles on his back and the few still slightly sore patches on his wings. Alfred dipped down a little before catching himself. Arthur and Francis shot each other a worried look. "Are you quite sure you don't want us to carry you?" asked Francis.

Alfred shook his head, giving them a weary smile. "I got it for now. Don't worry guys. Let's get going. Mattie's gonna get worried if he sees you guys hovering around me," he said. " _I told you there was something wrong!"_ said Arthur to Francis mentally. Francis sighed. "You both are so stubborn. Let's go. If we hover hear any longer we'll end up coming back when it's too dark to spot the entrance," he said.

Arthur scowled. "Come along then," he said. " _One of us should stay positioned underneath him. He's being stubborn and we don't want him falling to his death,"_ he said to Francis. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Franics nod in response before lowering his altitude.

 **Let me know what you guys think. I got something big in the making. Also, I will be out of town for a few days so this story will be put on hiatus until 4/16.**


	11. Chapter 11: AAAAnnnddd Good Feeling Gone

Matthew looked up worriedly when he felt a jolt of pain coming from his brother. He looked up in time to see his brother dip as he came off the ledge. A few minutes, Francis positioned himself beneath Alfred, ready to catch him if anything. Matthew bit his lip. His brother shouldn't be so stubborn.

" _Est Alfred fait bien?_ " he asked Francis hesitantly. (Is Alfred doing alright?) He could spy Francis glance down at him as Kuma followed the shadows they casted below. " _Il est un peu mal, mais il va bien. Que faites-vous deux cachette?"_ he asked. (He's doing alright. What are you two hiding?) "Maple...They already figured it out," muttered Matthew to himself. Kuma titled his head. "Figured what out?" Matthew sighed.

" _Alfred a une déchirure musculaire dans le dos. Il est trop têtu pour demander de l'aide,"_ said Matthew. (Alfred has a torn muscle in his back. He's too stubborn to ask for help.) From his spot in the sky, Francis frowned at the white speck that was Kuma and Matthew. " _Pourquoi vous étiez deux si secret à ce sujet?"_ he asked. (Why would you two be so secretive about it?)

Matthew sighed. If he concentrated enough, he could feel how much Alfred's back burned from having to keep himself up in the air. " _Alfred a une chose à propos de laisser les gens touchent le dos ... Il est quelque chose qu'il est très sensible à ..._ " (Alfred has a thing about letting people touch his back...It's something he's very sensitive about...) said Matthew, knowning how angry Alfred was going to be when he found out Matthew told Francis.

Francis glanced up to where Alfred was flying above him, a sweat covering his forehead from straining himself. " _S'il vous plaît ... Il va être fou si je savais rien dit …_ ( Please...He'll be mad if knew I said anything…)," said Matthew. Francis sighed. "J _e ne dirai rien à ce sujet, mais l'un d'entre nous ont pour le guérir_ (I won't say anything about it, but one of us will have to heal him. )" he replied. Matthew let out a relieved sigh.

After about twenty minutes, Alfred could feel the strain on his musles and his wings become too much. Just before he could dip too low, Francis and Arthur closed in. Each of them put an arm around Alfred and positioned themselves so they could fly easier. Alfred let his wings go limp on his back.

"Git, you should have told us you were pushing yourself so much," said Arthur, sending Alfred a jolt of energy through their bond. "I'm fine guys," said Alfred, spotting Matthew glanced up at the worriedly. "We don't mind helping you Alfred. If you have a problem, you should tell us," said Francis, giving him a kind smile.

Alfred sighed and let them carry him. After about ten more minutes, he could spy a flat plateu jetting off a mountain below them, filled with booths and people. Alfred perked up. "Is that it?" he asked. Arthur and Francis nodded. "We're going to land in the woods over there, alright?" said Arthur. Alfred and Francis nodded and angled themselves for a landing.

When they landed, Alfred looked around for Matthew. "Where's Mattie?" he asked. "It takes a few minutes longer to come by foot, er, bear. He'll be here in about ten more minutes," said Francis. Alfred nodded. Arthur looked through the bag he brought with him. "I got all the potions set. I think I'm going to go distribute them before Matthew gets here if that's okay," he said. When the other two nodded, he walked away.

Alfred could hear Kuma asking Mattie for food a few minutes later. "I'm gonna go try to sneak up on Mattie," Alfred lied to Francis raised an eyebrow but nodded. "I'll be waiting for you two here. Don't take too long," he said. Alfred nodded and ran over to where he heard the bear talking.

Alfred ran over to Matthew, who jumped off the bear the second he saw his twin. "Are you alright? I saw that Arthur and Francis had to carry you part of the way," said Matthew. Alfred frowned. "You saw that? I guess I got a bit tired…" he trailed off. Matthew sighed. "Come here. Let me see if I can make it feel any better," he said.

Alfred perked up, walking over to his brother. "Thanks dude," he said. Matthew huffed, sticking a hand under Alfred's shirt so he could rest his hand against the muscle in his back. "You need to take care of yourself better. I'm not going to be here to put you back together all the time," he said.

"Aw Mattie, we're hooked at the hip. You know how much it hurts me to hear you say that," teased Alfred. Matthew rolled his eyes, concentrating on healing the muscle enough that Alfred didn't have to put so much of an effort into keeping his wings up. After a few seconds, Alfred relaxed while Mattie broke out in a sweat.

He took his hand away, shaking it out. "That's as much as I can do for now. I'll do more later when we don't have Francis and Artie waiting for us," said Matthew. Alfred gave his brother a hug. "You're the best dude. If I see any maple cookies, I'm gonna get you a whole box of them," he said.

Matthew had to smile. "You don't have to Alfred. C'mon. Let's go find the others," he said. Alfred nodded, grabbed his brother's wrist, and ran toward where he kept Francis waiting. Matthew gave him an apologetic smile. " _Désolé A propos de ça. Je devais guérir son dos un peu. (Sorry about that, I had to heal his wing a little),"_ said Mattie. Francis gave him a smile. " _C'est d'accord (It's alright),"_ said Francis.

They started walking over to the booths with Kuma on their heels. "Is it okay if Kuma tags along? I'm not sure how well people would take to having a bear ocme with us," said Matthew. Francis waved a hand. "It's fine. Everyone brings animasl with them. Perhaps you can find a ribbon or something for him, hmm?" he said.

Though they knew the market was for avians, both of the boys' jaws dropped when they saw the spaced filled with them. "T-There's so many avains," said Alfred, eyes wide and his wings unfurling a little from their spot on his back. Mattie gave him a smirk. "I told you that we couldn't have been the only ones," he said.

Alfred rolled his eyes. "You're going to be holding that over my head for awhile aren't you? C'mon. Let's go look at the booths!" With that, Alfred grabbed his brother and started pulling him toward a booth. Francis had to shake his head, smiling. He and Arthur were wrong to worry about the boys being completely different than when they remembered.

Francis ran over to them, knowing from experience that if they were left on their own for too long Alfred had the tendency to drag the two of them into trouble. He found them at the Asian's booth, ran by Wang Yao and his flock. A bored looking Leon was maning the booth, head in one hand as he gazed at the crowd looking as if he wanted to be anywhere but there.

"Bonjour Leon. How are you today?" asked Francis, to be polite as the boys looked through the different products. "Yao pulled something in his back and I have to watch the booth while Kiku and Mei give him acupuncture. We sent Yong to go pick up some baked goods from Roderich to keep from bugging him," sighed Leon.

"What is all this stuff?" asked Alfred, pointing to different herbs. "They're different herbs aru. Did you need any medicine?" asked a Chinese man with a ponytail, entering the booth from some curtains at the back. "Do you have any for sore muscles?" asked Matthew before Alfred could say anything. Yao raised an eyebrow. "More westeners? Do you people just reproducee like bunnies?" he said.

"Non non. Yao, this is Matthew and Alfred. They're the fledglings that we had go missing a while ago," said Francis. Leon blinked, actually looking slightly interested. "These are the two Arthur kept moaning about when he took care of me?" he asked. Francis nodded. Yao looked them over, his face softening a bit when he saw Mattie's lack of wings.

"Aiya, I see. Well, this medicine should take care of sore muscles. I forget what's in it but it works well. Here you go," said Yao, handing Matthew a pouch. "How much do you want for it?" asked Francis, pulling out some coins. Yao waved his hand. "Think of it as welcome back present. But don't expect it to happen again," he said. "T-Thank you," said Matthew.

Two more people came out of the back. "Ah, Kiku, Mei. This is Alfred and Matthew. They're a part of Arthur and Francis's flock," said Yao. Kiku bowed. "Konichiwa. I'm Kiku. It is very nice to meet you," he said, standing up. Alfred waved. "I'm Alfred and this is Mattie. It's cool to meet you too," he said.

Francis looked around the market while the twins spoke to Kiku and Mei. He spotted Arthur arguing with Antonio from across the way. "I found Arthur boys. Let's go before he picks a fight," he sighed. "Bye Kiku! We should totally hang out sometime!" said Alfred, turning to follow Francis.

"For the last time Antonio, I do not have a potion to turn people into tomatoes nor do I intend on creating one! You can bugger off if you think I'm going to waste my time doing that," said Arthur. "But Arthur, it would be so cute!" said the happy Spainiard, manning a booth full of different fruits and vegetables.

"Bonjour Antonio. How are you this beautiful day?" asked Francis, quickly jumping in and greeting his friend before Arthur could have the chance to throttle him. Antonio turned and gave Francis a wide grin. "Hola Francis. Are these your two boys? Gilbert told me they came back. My, aren't they big? Last time I saw them, they were tan pequeño (so small)", he said.

Arthur nodded, relaxing a little, introducing the two. "I'm so sorry about your wings mijo! (my son) Gilbert feels awful for what he said," gushed Antonio, about ready to hug Matthew from across the stall. Luckily, a man with auburn hair came over. "What the hell tomato bastard? You can't keep scaring customers away! I leave for one minute and you're all over the wingless wonder!" he said.

"Lovi! You should apologize!" said Antonio, pulling back from Matthew. "Che cosa! I do what I want and you're not going to stop me you bastard. I already have to make sure Feli doesn't make himself sick from eating sweets. Now I have to make sure you're not getting touchy with the customers?" said the Italian.

Antonio sighed. "I apologize for my friend. He isn't very good with people," he said. "Bastard," said Lovino, turning to us. "So are you going to buy something or not? I don't have forever," he said. Arthur huffed. "I think we're fine. How is your brother Lovino?" he said, trying to be polite. Lovino gestured to a booth selling pasta and pizza. "Why don't you go ask the idiot? Can't you see I'm busy working two booths?" he huffed.

As they neared the pasta booth, an orange blur tackled the twins. They froze, finding themselves being hugged by what the assumed was Lovino's brother. "Are you Matthew and Alfred? Big Brother Francis was telling me all about you two! I'm so happy that you two came back! Would you like some pasta?" he asked.

Before they could respond, a tall blonde with dusty brown wings had walked over to them from a booth selling cuckoo clocks and mead and pried the Italian off the North American twins. "Feli, you can't hug people you just met. I am sorry about that," he said in a rough German accent. "I-It's fine," said Mattie. "It's totally cool dude. Francis, you two are related?" asked Alfred.

Francis nodded. "We have the same grandfather. And yes Feliciano, this is Alfred and the other one is Matthew," he said, introducing the twins. "Ve, I'm sorry about your wings Matthew. Does it hurt? I would think it hurts a lot. I bet some pasta would help!" he said. The blonde sighed. "I'm Ludwig. I understood you met my brother the other day," he said.

"Your brother?" asked Alfred. "Gilbert...that idiot. I'm sorry that he offended you. I have him on cuckoo clock duty as punishment," said Ludwig. "It's fine. You're his older brother?" asked Mattie. Ludwig scowled. "No. I'm that dummkopf's younger brother. I apologize again," he said. With that, he picked up the Itallian and hauled him back to his booth.

"Come along boys. Do either of you want a sweet or two? There's a booth here that sells them," said Arthur. Francis smiled. "Oui! I enjoy visiting Roderich's booth...though Miss Elizabeta is a bit terrifying sometimes," he said. Alfred grinned, glancing at his brother. "That sounds good, right Mattie?" Mattie smiled back.

" _Are you doing alright bro? If you want me to fly you back-"_ started Alfred. Mattie flicked his brother's wing. " _You can barely keep yourself in the air. I don't want you to drop me. I'm fine. No one's being mean about it. They all seem pretty nice,"_ he responded. Alfred grinned. " _They do. I think the Italian brothers must be a riot to be around,"_ he said. Matthew chuckled at that.

"Francis, Arthur are those the boys!" said a woman with dark brown wings, streaked with black. She rushed out from the booth they were walking to, forgetting about the frying pan she had in her hand. "Oui Mademoiselle ElizaBeta," said Francis happily. She squealed a little, pinching each twin's cheek. "They're as cute as I remember. I used to babysit you boys," said the Hungarian.

"Miss Héderváry, please control yourself," sighed a man with a cowlick and glasses. "Hello Roderich. What do you have for sale today?" asked Arthur. "I'm glad you asked. I have Kaiserschmarren, which is like a pancake but better. I also have some strudels," said the aristocratic looking man. "I'll have the Kaiserschmarren if that's alright," said Matthew, digging in a pocket for the gold coins he and Alfred sent Sammy to retrieve for them.

Arthur quickly paid for it before Matthew could. "And you Alfred?" "Um, one of those apple strudels," said Alfred. Roderich nodded and handed them their food. "By the way Arthur, I heard that Gilbert is planning on throwing the boys a party," said Roderich. Arthur scowled. "We told him to bugger off. The stubborn prat," he said. "He feels bad for what he said," said Elizabeta.

The twins had wandered off, looking around at more booths as Arthur and Francis spoke with different people they knew. At one point in time, Alfred had to come up with an excuse to separate him from a Belgian girl when the two somehow managed to get into a fight over whether pancakes or waffles were better.

"Dude, I've never seen you get so worked up around someone who isn't me before," said Alfred with a smirk. Matthew frowned. "Waffles don't let the syrup sink in properly! Even if they do have pockets for them!" he said, throwing his hands up. Francis walked over to them, cocking an eyebrow when he saw Mattie looking so flustered.

"Oh mon ami, is your brother picking on you again? Or was it someone else who got you so flustered?" he asked. "He and Emma, the lady at the waffle stand, got into a fight over breakfast food. Or at least got close to being in a fight," said Alfred with a chuckle. "Oh Emma? She makes some of the most wonderful waffles. Nothing as good as I make but still," said Francis.

"Pancakes are better, maple!" shouted Mattie. Arthur walked over and put an arm around the Candian. "Perhaps when we get back to the cave you can make us some. How does that sound? We better get going. The market is going to get crazy in a few minutes as everyone packs up to get home before it gets dark," said Arthur.

Matthew perked up and walked over to Kuma, getting onto his back. "I'll see you guys back at the ledge then?" he asked. "Oui. We'll see you there," said Francis before turning to Alfred. "You think you can make it home on your own or do you want us to carry you?" he asked. Alfred stretched his wings out. "I think I can make it on my own. I'll let you know if I'm having trouble again," he said.

Francis nodded while Arthur gave Alfred a skeptical look. "Alright but I'm flying below you just in case," he said, jumping off a nearby ledge with grey wings out. Alfred sighed. "Is he usually this prickly?" he asked. "Non. You caught him on a good day mon cher," he chuckled, following Arthur off the cliff.

Alfred smirked, better able to hide the wince as he he jumped off the cliff. Arthur gave him an approving nodded as the three of them got into formation above Matthew.

Arthur frowned as they got near the cave. Something was off. "What is it les sourcils? (eyebrows) Is there something wrong?" called Francis from above. Arthur focused on the boundries around the nest. They haven't been breached. In fact, they felt just fine….but something was off about it.

"Probably nothing. I thought there was something wrong with the boundries but they appear to be intact. Nothing has disturbed them. I suppose I just need some tea to relax when we get in," said Arthur. They landed on the ledge, Alfred stumbling a little from his landing. Arthur was about to remark on that when something large landed on him.

"Oof. What the bloody hell?" asked Arthur from underneath a redheaded man with matching red wings. "'Ello Artie. Thought we'd drop in for a visit," said the man in an Irish accent. "Reiley you git! You could have sprained one of my wings!" said Arthur as Alfred started cracking up.

Another man with lighter red hair and brown wings jumped down from the rocks above. "Ye were supposed to wait for the signal ye git," he said. A man with titian hair jumped down behind what the twins assumed was his brother. "Honestly Reiley. I suppose these are the twins?" asked the second man in a Scotish accent.

Arthur squirmed out from underneath Reiley, looking incredibly flustered. He brushed off his wings and glared at the three men. "The bloody hell are you doing here? I told you not to show up!" he said. The taller redhead took a puff of his cigarette and put an elbow on Arthur's shoulder.

"Honestly Arthur, you should be used to it by now. Anytime you tell us not to do something, that means we have to do it," said the other one with black streaked white wings. "Aye. Besides, you think you can really convince us not to come and see boys after they've been missing all this time, did you?" said the one leaning on Arthur.

Arthur grumbled before Francis jumped up. "It is good to see you all again. How have you been doing Allistair?" he asked the one with brown wings. Allistair crushed the cigarette he was smoking under foot and gave the Frenchman a grin. "Much better now that we've made our way over here. Though, trust Reiley to have to constantly stop to pee," he said.

"Is this them?" asked the quieter avian, waving a hand in the twins' direction. "Yes you idiot, that's them. The one with the curl is Matthew and the one with the cowlick is Alfred," muttered Arthur with crossed arms. Reiley jumped up and looked the twins over. "Blimey, you two have gotten big. Where have been all this time? Don't tell me Arthur stashed you somewhere to keep you safe from us," he said.

"Kind of a long story," said Alfred with a grin. Reiley froze when he got behind Mattie, realizing he didn't have wings. "Oh no…." he said. "Reiley!" snapped all three of his brothers. Reiley teared up a little and hugged the twins. Matthew and Alfred squirmed. "Aw I'm sorry! I forgot! I thought you made it up to keep us away!" he said.

"Now I know where Alfred gets it," muttered Arthur. Reiley let go so his brothers could inspect the twins. Allistair looked them over before ruffling both of their hair. "It's good to see you boys. I was sure my brother had botched things up with you but it looks like you've managed to stay in one piece since he's brought you back into the nest. What do you think Rhys?" he said.

The other one silently looked them over before nodding, giving each of the boys a small hug. "It's good to have you two back. Arthur was practically out of his mind with grief when he thought he had lost you two for good," he said. Allistair rolled his eyes. "Aye. The bloody git would get all choked up if you two were hinted at in any way," he said.

"I'd say you would too if I didn't know you were so bloody heartless," protested Arthur. "You'd be heartless too after having to raise your arse up from being wee thing to the git you are today," said Allistair. "You raised Artie?" asked Alfred. Reiley put his arms around both boys. "Allistair raised all three of us. It was a bloody riot," he said cheerfully.

Rhys nodded. "I remember when he was teaching us to fly. He dangled us over the ledge by the foot before throwing us over. Arthur still can't stand to be around Allistair anywhere near a ledge," he said. "Oi, it taught you three to be self-sufficient. And you're all good fliers so don't complain," said Allistar from where he had Arthur in a headlock.

Reiley slapped the boys' backs. Alfred blanched and both Francis and Mattie had to wince. "Now that you two blokes are back, we can show you some tricks! The ones that Artie will probably ban you from doing in his sight," he said. Arthur frowned, noting Alfred going pale when Reiley hit his back.

Alfred forcibly grinned. "That sounds like an awesome idea," he said. Reiley put an arm around him. "I like this one. He's got moxie," he said. Matthew frowned. "I don't know Alfred...You have a lot of trouble landing…" he said, not wanting to sound too mean. Allistair ruffled his hair. "Don't worry mate. We'll help him smooth out any problems he's having with his flying. A week with us ought to do the trick," he said.

"They just got back Allistair. Could you at least wait a month before you try to corrupt them?" said Arthur flatly, arms crossed. Rhys sighed. "We missed them too you know," he said. "Besides, when did we say we were going to take them back with us to our mountain?" asked Allistair with a devious grin.

Arthur gave him a blank stare. "Wot?" "Ay, that's right Arthur. We're going to be staying here for a few days," said Reiley, grinning. "You can't just walk in and expect me to play the bloody host whenever you want!" said Arthur, throwing his hands in the air. Rhys chuckled. "We're planning to visit a month from now. They just enjoy watching you squirm," he said.

"Oh come now Arthur, don't look so relieved," said Reiley, grinning as he ruffled his brother's hair. "Whatever. I suppose you all want something to eat...or, more likely, drink," said Arthur. "Aye. You got that right. I want to hear all about how you got the boys back," said Allistair, following Arthur to the main outside space.

"Do you know how long Arthur has been looking for you two? Ever since you left," said Reiley, sitting in between the twins. Allistair rolled his eyes as Arthur came back with bottles of various alcohol. "Aye. He had us come here once a month for about then years, after that it was once a year, to see if we can divine your location," he said, pouring himself a glass of whiskey.

"You all have magic?" asked Matthew. All four brothers nodded. "Though Arthur's is the strongest. You two might have it too…though I don't know how being away from our kind for so long affected your connection…" said Rhys, trailing off as he pondered the idea. Allistair nodded. "It is a possibility."

"Because the world needs someone like Alfred running around with magic powers," muttered Matthew. Alfred rolled his eyes. "Anyways, we never could find you two. We all thought you were dead...that's one of the only reasons why the spell wouldn't work," said Reiley. Both Francis and Arthur frowned.

"But now it's obvious why the spell didn't work. We were tracking you two by your wings. More specifically, Matthew's wings. We never considered the possibility of him losing his wings. We assumed that the hunters would want them dead or alive," said Alistair. Matthew frowned. "Why my wings?" he asked.

"Because you were molting at the time mon ami. You were the only one at the time that had left feathers in their room. It was the only thing we could have tracked you with," said Francis softly. Mattie's eyes widen. "Y-You have one of my feathers?" he asked. Arthur jumped up. "It's in my office. I'll go get it," he said, flying off.

Alistair glanced over his shoulder as Arthur left. When he was gone, he turned back to the others. "So you two were captured by hunters and raised by humans?" he asked. The twins nodded. Alistair took a long sip of whiskey, looking each one of them over. "The hunters took your wings...but he did something to your brother too, didn't he?" he asked.

The twins froze. Francis frowned at their reaction, turning to Allistair. "What do you mean? Why would you think that?" he asked. "It wouldn't make sense for them to take one twin's wing and leave the other intact, even if Francis had scared him off. He still had time to do something….even if it was a rough job," said Allistair, watching the twins carefully.

 **Back from hiatus, which turned out to be a good thing because I thought of new ways to torture the characters and come up with an evil villain. *Cue Evil Laugh and Lightening* You guys are going to hate me so much...but that's a few chapters away yet.**


	12. Chapter 12: The Torture Continues

Alfred froze while his brother frowned. "Listen, he doesn't like talking about it. Just drop it okay?" he said, feeling bad at the look of shock and hurt that was apparent in Francis's face. "What happened mon chou? Please tell me," he said. Allistair swore. "What was it?" he asked. Alfred's feathers bristled. "It's none of your business. Just drop it," he said angrily.

Allistair opened his mouth but stopped when he heard the rustle of feathers behind him. "What's wrong?" asked Arthur, landing next to them. "Nothing. We're just chatting," said Francis quickly. Arthur raised an eyebrow. "Then was is Alfred so aggitated?" he asked.

"Because I said something to upset him. Blimey Arthur, you somehow managed to make the kid as sensitive as you are," said Allistair, rolling his eyes and leaning back to take another drink. Alfred and Mattie's eyes widen. Allistair was lying for them. Francis too?

Arthur scowled at his brother. "Really Allistiar? Should I even be surprised?" he asked. "Nope," said Allistair, finishing his glass and refilling it. Arthur rolled his eyes and handed the feather to Matthew gently. Matthew fingered the feather carefully. "T-This is mine?" he asked. "Oui mon ami. Je suis désolé (I'm sorry)," said Francis sadly.

Matthew teared up, his hand shaking a little as he stroke the long light brown feather. Alfred got up and hugged his brother, whispering something into his ear. Matthew nodded in response, starting to cry and hug his brother back. Reiley teared up, putting his Guiness on the rock next to him before hugging Rhys. Rhys made a face and pushed his brother off.

Francis teared up a little at the boys. Arthur excused himself to go 'make some tea.' Allistair bumped Francis with a wing. "Oi, what do we do about this? Arthur will be upset when he finds out about it like the wee tit he is," said Allistair.

Francis frowned. "I don't even know what 'it' is. What do you think happened to them?" he asked. Allistair sighed, running a hand through his hair, before glancing at Rhys. Rhys looked up from where he was holding the tipsy, blubbering Irishman back. "We don't know for sure what happened…One of the boys would have to tell us. It's not a good idea to jump to conclusions," he said.

"Yeah, save that job for Arthur," joked Reiley, squirming to try to plant a slobbery kiss on his brother's cheek. "Will you knock it off ye git?" said Allistair to Reiley. On the other side of the fire, Alfred was cracking jokes in an attempt to get his brother to stop crying. Francis smiled weakly when he glanced at the twins.

"Those poor boys have been through hell and back. I don't know what I'd do if I was in their shoes. They're lucky that they have each other," he said. Allistair nodded. "It does seem like that's keeping them calm so far…." he trailed. Francis sighed. "Is what you're thinking that happened to Alfred that bad?" he asked. Allistair sighed. "The boy seems up in arms against letting anyone know about it...I don't think it's something plesant," he said.

The older avians stood up and walked over to the caves to give the brothers their moment. And to talk about them behind their back. "We haven't seen any proof of anything being wrong...It could be that the hunter just scared him or tramatized him when he hurt Mattie," said Rhys.

Allistair started to scowl when Arthur came out. "There's tea in the kitchen if you'd like to help yourselves," he said to his brother before walking over to the twins. Arthur furrowed his brows, watching as Arthur speak to the twins, before gesturing that they should continue their conversation in the caves.

Alfred looked up from where he was stroking his brother's back to see Arthur approach them. Arthur put a hand on Mattie's shoulder. "Lad, I'm so sorry. I'll do some research to see if it's possible for us to get your wings back...but I can't make any promisies. We're all here for you if you need it," he said softly.

Matthew nodded, hugging Arthur. Arthur softened and hugged him back. "Now why don't you get some tea and get some rest? My ruddy brothers will probably still be here when you get back, okay love? I'll heal your brother so you don't have to worry about him," he said. Mattie tensed up and Alfred went a little pale.

Pulling away, Mattie stuttered, "I-I can heal him. I promised him that I would," he said. Arthur frowned. "Poppet, you're upset. It's best that you are in a good state of mind when healing someone. Besides, I said I would heal him as well. Go get some tea," he said. "I-I rather Mattie do it...I-I can wait until tomorrow if I need to. It doesn't hurt that much," lied Alfred.

Arthur furrowed his brows. "What are you two hiding? Neither of you seem to want me to go near Alfred's back. We're all bonded. I've already touched his wings. I don't see why you won't let me heal him," he said. The twins squirmed a little, not sure what to say in response. Arthur sighed. "That's it Alfred. Lay down."

Alfred's eyes widen. "B-But-" Arthur shook his head. "No, now. I know that your back is bothering you. It's ridiculous to suffer when you don't have to. On your stomach," he said. Alfred glanced at Matthew, who shared his mirrored look of fear and hesitation. Arthur's face softened. "Alfred, I'll not judge. Please let me help you," he said.

Alfred swallowed and laid down, pale and shaking a little. Mattie sat by him and gave his hand a squeeze. Arthur gave them an approving nod before proceeding to pull up Alfred's shirt. Alfred froze and Mattie's hand started shaking as he pet his brother's head. "What the bloody hell is this?" whispered Arthur.

"I don't know. It could be that-" Reiley froze as the three brothers could feel Arthur suddenly become incredibly upset. Francis frowned, eyes widening as it registered that the twins were terrified. He sprang up, running out of the kitchen with the three brits trailing him.

Arthur started shaking when he looked at Alfred's back, finally getting a clear, close, look at it for the first time. Thick and heavy scars laced the edges of his shoulder blade where the wings met his back. Someone had tried to cut his wings off. Someone had been almost successful in doing so.

"What's wrong? What happened?" asked Francis, freezing when he followed Arthur's gaze to the scars on Alfred's back. "Non. Non. Oh mon petit Alfred," he said, tearing up and squatting next to Matthew, brushing the hair away from Alfred's face. Alfred bit his lip, trying not to cry or look at the avian's horrified faces.

"Why didn't you tell us?" asked Arthur, a fist balling up. Alfred clenched his eyes shut, a tear leaking out. "Because I don't like thinking about it. I don't like remembering it all," he said. "I-I thought you said neither of you remembered…" said Arthur. Both twins looked away. "I don't remember it...I passed out half way through….Alfie saw it all though...He remembers," whispered Mattie.

Allistair put an arm around Matthew, face red from anger. "What happened to your wings…?" asked Rhys. "There's scars on the edges...did they try to clip your wings?" he added, noting the white scars that lined his wings. Alfred started sobbing, nodding. Reiley pulled a crying Arthur away from Alfred.

"C'mon Arthur. You're too upset," he said. "B-But who will-" choked out Arthur. Allistair moved away from Mattie. "I will...if Alfred is alright with it," he said. Alfred nodded, crying as well. Francis hugged Matthew and pat Alfred's head his other hand. Allistiar nodded and got into position, gently placing his hand on the sore back.

He frowned. "It looks like you got a torn muscle. This might sting a little Alfie," he said, closing his eyes and concentrated. Alfred hiccuped as he suddenly felt the bond form between the two of them and started to relax. "That's right lad. Get some rest. We can get down to the bottom of this tomorrow, alright?" he said.

Alfred nodded, closing his eyes. Allistair concentrated on soothing him enough that he could fall asleep without problem. When the back was mostly healed, he pulled back. "There. The boy should feel better in the morning. We should all get some rest. No uses in interrogating them now," he said with a tired sigh.

Francis and Arthur nodded, Francis rubbing Matthew's back. "I suppose we might as well stay out here. I'll go fetch the blankets," sniffed Arthur before leaving. "Should we go after him?" asked Matthew. Rhys shook his head. "He's likely to get into the rum and you don't want to see the git like that," he said.

Allistair snorted. "Lad can't hold his liquor, that's for sure," he said, reaching for his abandoned glass and finishing his drink. Mattie nodded, crawling over to his brother and squirming under his wing. Francis smiled a little and watched as Matthew fell asleep. "This is all my fault...I should have gotten home quicker. I shouldn't have left," he said.

"Mate, it isn't your fault. It's the fault of the arseholes who decided to go after a couple of kids," said Reiley, taking a swing from the bottle. "I know...but I could have stopped it if I was there," sighed Francis. Allistair pat his back. "Get some rest, alright? I have a feeling Arthur's going to have his knickers in a twist come morning and we could use one of you two having a clear head," he said.

Francis nodded and laid down next to the twins. "Let's go make sure Arthur doesn't get too close to the ledge if he's drunk. Wings or not he's bound to get himself killed," said Rhys. "Aye. Let's go see if we can help him take his mind off of things," said Allistair, leading his two other brothers back to where Arthur was wandering the caves with a captain's hat and a bottle of rum.

Matthew woke up to find Francis nuzzling him in his sleep and Alfred whimpering in his sleep. He sighed and curled up closer to his brother. "Alfred it's just a nightmare. I'm fine. Nothing bad is happening," he whispered into his brother's ear. Alfred relaxed slightly putting an arm around his twin. Matthew wrinkled his nose, wedged between the two of avians.

"Ye alright there Matthew?" slurred an Allistair, Arthur passed out on his shoulder. Matthew looked up and gave him a slight nod. "Is he going to be alright?" he asked, nooding toward Arthur who mumbled something about a guy name Henry in his sleep. Allistair rolled his eyes. "He'll be find. He never could hold his alcohol," he said, taking a swing from a bottle of scotch.

Matthew sighed. "It's alright boy. He needed to get this out of his system. He'll be right as rain tomorrow, perhaps a bit more crotchety than normal but fine. Go back to sleep alright? I'll keep a good eye on the git," said Allistair. Mattie nodded. "Night Allistair," he said, laying back down. Allistair's face soften. "Night Matthew."

The next morning, Alfred found himself underneath what was practically a dog pile. He spat someone's feathers out of his mouth. Mattie rolled over under his wing with Francis sprawled out next to him. Arthur was passed out on Alfred's other side, Allistair covering him with a wing as they slept. Reiley was passed out on the other side of Allistair. Rhys was already up making tea.

Alfred frowned as he pulled his wings in and did his best to wiggle out from under all the wings and arms that were sprawled over him. Matthew frowned in his sleep before Francis covered with a wing. "Morning Rhys," said Alfred, standing up and stretching his wings out. Rhys nodded. "Morning. Tea?" he asked.

"Thanks," said Alfred, taking the cup. Rhys nodded, sitting down. "So all three of you are older than Arthur?" asked Alfred. Rhys nodded again. "Yup. Allistair is the oldest. I'm second oldest. Reiley is third oldest, though the idiot acts like a ten year old sometimes. You two would be the youngests but were under Arthur's care the majority of your time with our kind," said Rhys.

Alfred nodded, taking a sip of tea. "Last night, Artie said he was going to see if there was some way to get Mattie his wings back. Do you think that's really possible?" he asked, a bit hopeful. Rhys shrugged. "It could be. There are some old legends and stories where people grow wings. Usually it's a human who becomes bonded with an avian out of love. But those are just stories. We'd have to ask some of the ancients if we want to be a hundred percent sure," said Rhys.

"Ancients?" asked Alfred. "The older avians. Ones like our mum. The ones who had kids before disappearing. But that is close to impossible. They rarely come to visit or communicate. Soem believe that after they had kids, they faded away or retreated to a different plane of existance somewhere in the clouds," said Rhys.

Alfred frowned. "So there's no way to find out?" Rhys shook his head. "Now I didn't say that did I? The four of us are well versed in magic and we inherited our mother's old collection of magic books. I'm sure that with some digging, we can find something that could tell us for certain whether or not it's possible," said Rhys.

Alfred nodded. "There's breakfast in the kitchen if you want some. I managed to beat Arthur to making it. Francis has warned you of his cooking right?" asked Rhys. Alfred made a face. "Yeah. I don't think it's cooking though if all he does is turn things to stone or start them on fire," he said.

Alfred chuckled. Rhys smiled at him. "He really was worried about you boys. Never gave up on looking for you. I'm surprised we never thought of the village….We were sure that if any humans got their hands on you, you two would be dead for sure," he said. Alfred nodded, rubbing a shoulder.

"We got lucky...If Francis came any second later I'd have no wings and Mattie would be dead," said Alfred. Rhys furrowed his brows. "That close? Really?" he asked. Alfred nodded, scratching the back of his neck as his wings ruffled uncomfortably. Rhys sighed, putting a hand on his knee. "It's fine. None of it was your fault," he said.

Alfred gave him a small smile and Rhys nodded. "Alfred...You already share a bond with Alistair and Arthur. May I create one with you as well?" he asked. Alfred gave him a confused look. "Don't you have to heal me to do that?" he asked. Rhys shook his head and held up a hand.

"We just touch our hands together and concentrate on the other person. If we don't have any negative emotions between us, it should work," he said. Alfred nodded and hesitantly put his hand against Rhys's. Rhys nodded and closed his eyes so Alfred did the same thing, concentrating on the Welshman.

After a few seconds, electricity surged through their hands and Alfred suddenly felt a wave of memories, Rhys's memories wash over him. Most of them were of him running around a forest with a redheaded duo, Reiley and Allistair. Then there were images of an upset Arthur begging them for help.

Alfred gasped and pulled away, swaying a little. Rhys quickly steadied him. "Steady there. You need to let the bond work through you before you pull away like that. It has a sort of whiplash effect if you stop contact immediately after it's made," he said. Alfred nodded. "S-Sorry. I'm okay. I wasn't expecting that," he said.

"What did you see?" asked Rhys. Alfred sighed. "Arthur telling you that we went missing," he said. Rhys looked guilty for a split second. "Oh. I'm sorry you had to see that. Have some more tea," he said, quicky pouring some for Alfred. Alfred nodded. "What did you see?" he asked.

Rhys sighed. "The bond shows you whatever the other person was thinking or had on their mind at the time of the bond's forging. You were thinking about the attack...all I saw was a glimps of bloody feathers," he said. Alfred stared at his feet. "Sorry...I didn't mean to make you see that," he said.

"See what?" asked a voice from behind them. They turned to see a grumpy Allistair walking over to them, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. "Nothing Alistair. I just created a bond with Alfred here. Arthur and Reiley still passed out?" he asked. Alistair rolled his eyes. "Those two gits. Yeah. They're still asleep. They're both a handful," he growled, sitting down next to Alfred.

Rhys handed Alistair a cup of tea, which Alistiar promptly poured an amber liquid into from a flask he had hidden in his jacket. "So today is going to be a fiasco. You better ready yourself for that Alfred. A sober Arthur is troublesome as it is but a hungover Arthur is worse," he said.

Alfred frowned. "Do we really need to talk about it then if he's gonna be as bad as you say he will be?" he asked, dreading the conversation he and Mattie are going to have to have with the older avians. Alistair smirked. "Don't worry lad. Rhys and I know how to keep Arthur in check when he's this way," he said.

Rhys smiled. "Aye. And you don't have to worry abou the conversation either. No one blames you for what happened. You were only a babe," said Rhys. "Did someone say babe?" said French accent. Alfred snorted as Francis sat down next to him. "Morning Francis," he said. "Morning mon petite," said Francis, grooming his wings before taking a cup of tea from Rhys.

"Did we wake ye?" asked Alistair, leaning back to have a smoke. Francis shook his head. "Non. Mathieu had a cold nose and curled up next to me," he said. Alfred nodded. " _Alfred, does Mathieu still get nightmares?"_ he asked. Alfred shook his head. " _Sometimes but he doesn't very often,"_ he answered.

"Bloody Hell, do you all have to be so loud?" asked Arthur, sitting up and rubbing his head as he did. Alistair snorted. "I was wondering which of ye two would end up being today's sleeping beauty," he said. "Bugger off," snarled Arthur. Rhys handed him a cup of tea. "I already put herbs in it to get rid of your headache," he said.

Arthur grumbled a little and accepted the cup, drinking from it. Francis sighed and got up. "I'll get you something to eat. That'll help," he said before disappearing into the caves. Arthur groaned and blinked when a wing brushed against Alfred's arm. "You and Rhys bonded?" he asked. Alfred nodded.

Arthur sighed. "I suppose it's a good idea. As soon as I get rid of my bloody headache, you're going to tell me everything you know and remember. I don't want you or Matthew hiding anything about that night from me any longer. I have a right to know. That night's been haunting me for almost fifty years. I want to finally come to terms with it," he said, pratically growling toward the end.

Mattie saved Alfred from having to answer by plopping down between them, rubbing his eyes. "Hey guys. Morning," he muttered. Alfred rolled his eyes and pulled Matthew's glasses out of his hands, cleaned them, and handed them back. Matthew grinned. Arthur sighed. "In an hour we're going to sit down and talk about all of this...By then I should have a potion to help me think straight ready," he muttered.

"That also gives us enough time to come up with a way to wake the Irish beauty over there," said Rhys, pointing a thumb over to Reiley. Alistair grinned deviously. "Don't worry mate. I have an idea," he said, getting up and walking over to Reiley. Reiley didn't stir as Alistair started walking over to the creek. "Are you going to dunk him in the creek?" asked Arthur, getting up to follow.

Alistair nodded. "He needs a bath. He reeks," he said. The twins smiled and followed, watching as Allistair flew over to the creek and dropped Reiley. Reiley spluttered and shot up into the air, tackling Alistair who fell into the creek. Alistair chuckled and started wrestling with his brother in the creek. Arthur pinched his nose while the twins laughed and watched.

An hour later, Arthur had forced his brothers to change into dry clothing and was a little less hungover. Francis fidgeted, making sure that he was sitting next to the Arthur so he could try to calm him down if anything...let's face it. He's going to have to keep Arthur from trying to kill someone….again.

Arthur sighed as he looked at the two boys. Matthew was shaking slightly and not looking anyone in the eyes. Alfred was glancing at everyone defensively but was slightly pale, despite the balled up fists. Arthur felt something inside of him flutter. Someone had hurt his flock, his brothers, horribly. Enough that both boys were terrified of talking about it.

He balled up his fists, relaxing only when Francis felt his anger and pat his back. Allistair sighed. The sooner they got this talk over with, the better. The boys needed to let it out and Arthur needed to be given the chance to help them. Alistair shook his head. This was going to be quite the mess to work out.

Rhys sighed. "Where should we start?" he asked. Arthur sighed. "We've already told the boys what we remember happening. I want to know what they remember," he said. Alistair nodded. "That's where we'll start then. Boys?" asked Alistair, deciding to take the position of moderator in hopes of keeping things from spiraling out of control.

The twins glanced at each other, having a mental fight. Matthew put a hand on his brother's shoulder before turning to the others. "I-I'll go first. We both remember the beginning part about the same. He can jump in if he remembers anything else," said Matthew quietly. Alfred didn't say anything, just shuffled closer to his brother.

"It's fine Mathieu….We can stop if you feel too uncomfortable. In fact, it might be a good idea if we take breaks in between. That way we can all have time to relieve any tension that may form," said Francis helpfully. The others grumbled in agreement. Francis nodded. "That settles it. Mathieu, you may proceed."

Matthew shifted awkwardly. "I remember following Alfred because I thought he was going to get in trouble….I don't remember why. I don't remember why I snuck after him instead of telling him to come back after we got past a creek. He got really angry at me, told me that I was a tattletale. I told him I was it and he said to come with me to prove I wasn't," said Matthew. Arthur huffed.

"B-But it's not his fault. I convinced him to come back..but we were lost. Neither of us had paid attention to where we were going...Alfred had ran most of the way to where we were too. He was really upset and was crying when I found him," he said. Francis put a hand on Arthur's shoulder when he tensed up.

"We wandered around, neither of us being able to get far enough off the ground to get above the trees to find our way back. We got even more lost as we walked. I don't know how long it was after until someone dropped a net ontop of us," said Matthew, his voice starting to shake. Francis leaned forward to put a hand on his knee. "It's fine mon ami."

"T-They grabbed me first because Alfred was putting up too much of a fight. The other hunter had to hold down Alfred while the took a knife out," he said, swallowing. Alistair swore, wishing he could give the lad a drink to get that look of pain out of his eyes. No kid should have to be that scared.

"T-They started with my left wing first...It hurt alot. I kept squirming and I remember one of the hunters saying that I was losing too much blood. T-The other said they didn't care. I-I think I passed out before they were a quarter of the way through the first wing," said Matthew, his face white. Alfred was shaking as his brother started tearing up.

Francis jumped up and hugged Matthew, stroaking his back. "Ce sera peu un beau. Big Brother ne les laissera pas vous blesser à nouveau. (It'll be fine little one. Big Brother won't let them hurt you again.)" he said. Arthur jumped up. "I'll go fetch us some tea," he offered rushing over to the caves. "I'd offer you something stronger, but I'm sure Arthur would kill me," muttered Alistair.

Matthew let Francis hug him for a few seconds before he pulled back and wiped his eyes. "I-I'm sorry," he muttered. Francis shook his head. "You have every right to be upset. I'm sure it was very tramatic," he said. Matthew took the cup of tea that was offered to him. "I don't remember much of it...I'm used to not having wings," he said. The other avian's face fell.

They gave Matthew a few minutes to calm down a little, during which Alfred had starting balling his fists so tight that they started turning white. Francis kept a weary eye on that one. He was sure Alfred was one wrong look in his direction away from springing up and getting as far as he could from the nest.

Arthur put a hand on Alfred's knee, which kept bouncing up and down. He too had also gotten the sense that Alfred just wanted to take off. "Poppet, don't get so worked up. No one blames you for what happened. We just want to know what you remember," he said gently. Alfred's lip wobbled, but he leveled an angry gaze at Arthur.

"You want to know what I remember? I remember being terrified as I watched them cut Mattie's wings off. I was awake when they took the knife to my wings...not that the hunter really felt the need to use a knife. She rather just tear them off apparently," said Alfred angrily. All the avians blinked.

 **This looks like a good place to stop. I mean, I do have like twenty pages written up after this point, but what's the fun if I don't torture the characters** **annnnddd mess with my audience? Until next time mis amigos.**


	13. Chapter 13:Arthur Makes the Twins Cry

Alistair frowned, finding the flask he kept in his jacket. "Start from the beginning lad. This could help us figure out how to get your brother his wings back," he said. Alfred relaxed a little at that and took a deep breath. "Fine. I'm sorry," he said. Reiley gave him a smile. "It's okay Alfie. Just start from the beginning alright?"

Alfred nodded and let out a sigh. "I remember being extremely angry. I don't know what. I was mad about something and was running through the forest when Matthew found me. He tried to convince me to calm down...but I was crying too hard to listen to him. He started pulling me by the arm, telling me that we should get back.

"We got lost after a few minutes...I don't remember how long. I only remember thinking that I heard someone following us. Mattie said it was because I was just scared by a horror story Arthur told me." That earned Arthur a slap upside the head from Alistair and a look of disappointment from Francis.

"I heard something crack behind us and grabbed his hand, starting to run. A net fell from above and caused us to fall into a heap. We started panicking, kicking and clawing trying to get out. T-Then this man jumped out of the tree," said Alfred, stuttering. Mattie shrank, huddling close to his brother.

"And then what?" asked Alistair, ignoring the glare that Arthur shot him. "T-They grabbed Mattie first. I bit one of them so they decided to start with him because they hoped seeing him lose his wings would scare me into cooperating with them. They wanted us alive for some reason," said Alfred.

Arthur frowned but Alistair shook his head before waving his hand at Alfred. "Keep going Alfred. Don't mind us," he said. Alfred hesitated before continuing. "He got Mattie. While the girl held me down, t-they started cut Mattie's wings off. T-The man started getting angry because he started screaming and he was afraid someone was going to find us," he said.

Francis started swearing in rapid fire french under his breath. Arthur balled up his fists as Alfred's wings sagged. Matthew swallowed, some of the images of what Alfred saw flashing through the bond suddenly. Rhys and Alistair's eyes widen as they saw what Alfred was unconciously showing them all. Rhys furrowed his brows as Reiley frowned.

"Do you want to stop?" asked Reiley, not sure why all the other five avians beside Alfred had suddenly gone tense. Alfred shook his head, knowing that if he was given the chance to stop talking even for a minute he'd never get the story out. "Are you sure?" asked Alistair, keeping an eye on Arthur for any signs of him blowing up.

Alfred nodded, unclenching his fist and instead gripping the log he was sitting on. "M-Mattie passed out after a few minutes. He was bleeding a lot. I remember I stopped fighting when he passed out because I thought he had died. T-They cut his wings up and had just finished when the hunter heard something come close."

Arthur clenched a fist. Francis had teared up, clenching his jaw. "That's when he handed us to her, the other hunter. She grabbed him and the wings before running off. It wasn't until then that I found out Mattie was still alive. She said she would kill him if I struggled. S-She made a cut into my wing and started trying to tear it off when she lost the knife," said Alfred.

Arthur blanched. Reiley's face had turned green and Francis was frozen in shock. "Did I hear that right? She...tried to rip your wings off with her bare hands when she lost the knife?" asked Alistair. Alfred nodded. "She lost the knife when she tried to clip my wings. I had started struggling when she made the first cut," said Alfred quietly.

Arthur couldn't hold it back anylonger. He jumped up and shook Alfred. "You kept this from us. All of this from us? Are you some kind of idiot?" he shouted. Alistair started to stand up, but Arthur had already enveloped Alfred in a hug. "I'm so sorry you had to go through that. I should have been ther. I should have shown up earlier. Please forgive me," he said.

Alfred blinked before hugging Arthur back, crying. Arthur hugged him, rubbing the spot between his wings gently. He could feel the lumpy scar tissue underneath. Arthur swallowed, continuing to hug Alfred until Alfred pulled back. Matthew was still being smothered by Francis who was muttering to him. Francis met Arthur's eyes. They had to make this right.

Alistair sighed and glanced at Rhys. "What do you think?" he asked. "It could be that she wanted to keep Matthew alive to ensure Alfred didn't get in her way as Alfred said," he said, frowning. "You have another idea though," said Reiley. Rhys sighed. "It's only a theory...but it was a man and a woman who did it. Both boys were young…" he said, trailing off.

Alistair's eyebrows shot up. "You think they were trying to kidnap the boys, not just steal their wings and ditch them?" he said. Rhys nodded. Reiley frowned. "Arthur is not going to like that idea. But this is a good thing...they would have kept the wings if they were sentimental," said Reiley. Alistair nodded. "Hopefully they did. That would make things easier if we can find the proper spell," he said.

Alistiar, Reiley, and Rhys sighed and watched the boys as they were smothered by the Frenchman and their little brother. After a few minutes, Francis insisted that they take a break. With that, he ran into the caves and came back with various desserts. Alistiar was relieved that Francis was the one who insisted on cooking. None of the Kirklands were particularily good at it.

It took about twenty minutes for everyone to be a little bit calmer, or at least be able to fully swallow the lump of grief that stuck in each of their throats. Rhys was the one who broke the uncomfortable silence first. "Can we have a look at your backs? If you two don't mind that is," he asked.

Arthur bristled and Francis frowned. "It took us twenty minutes to calm down and you aim to wild us up again?" asked Arthur. "Oi, relax. It might help us understand how they did it. It could help us figure out this whole bloody thing out," said Alistair. "I-I don't mind. I know you guys won't be mean about it," said Matthew.

"Are you sure mon chou?" asked Francis. Matthew nodded, pulling his shirt off. He pulled it off and turned around, revealing an inch wide jagged scar that ran along his shoulder blades. Francis swallowed while Arthur reverted back to his sailor vocabulary. Alistair frowned as he ran a hand over one of the scars.

"Whoever did it did it carefully. It wasn't rushed. They were sure to make it a clean cut. They had practice, but I've never seen someone do it with so much care. They were trying to keep him from bleeding out," said Alistair. Arthur sniffed. "Doesn't mean we should give them a bloody medal. They hurt him!" said Arthur.

Francis frowned as he ran a hand over the scars. "Does your back still hurt?" he asked. Matthew shook his head. "Not much. Sometimes my back feels funny but that's about it," he said. Arthur swallowed pushing some of Mattie's hair back behind his ear. "I'm sorry about this love. This wasn't right," he said.

"What about you Alfred? Can you show us your back again?" asked Reiley. Alfred hesitated before sighing and pulling his shirt off. Alistair frowned as he looked at the scars before looking at the scars at the tips of Alfred's wings.

"This one was a rush job. I can see how you can have trouble flying sometimes. She didn't quite clip the wings right and probably damaged a muscle or two when she started tearing at the wing. It looks like she tried to be carefull at first but got desperate towards the end," he said.

"That's why he has trouble flying?" asked Matthew, feeling sorry that he teased Alfred so much about it. "Could be that or not having proper training. Though, considering everything he flies extremely well," said Rhys. "Aye. He seems to be a natural," said Reiley. That got Alfred to smile a little.

Alistair sighed. "I'm going to fly back to the nest and grab a few things. You have some books with you right?" he asked. Arthur nodded. "Of course. Would it be easier for us to come with you?" he asked. Alistiar shook his head. "I'll have a quick go at it. It would take too long to haul everyone with us. Besides, a bigger group attracts too much attention," he said.

Arthur sighed and nodded. With that, Alistair put Rhys in charge and flew off. Arthur sighed and realized that it was starting to get dark. "I suppose we should all get some rest. Hopefully he'll be back by the morning. Rhys, Reiley, you two can fight over who gets the guest room," he said.

The two instantly started fighting. Arthur rolled his eyes and went inside. The boys, looking exhausted, trailed in after them. Francis gave them both a hug before insisting that the go to bed. Once they were gone, he turned to Arthur. "How are you feeling?" he asked. Arthur sighed. "Awful. I didn't realize how bad it was. I-I thought they were fortunate enough not to remember," he said.

Francis nodded mournfully. "Oui. The poor things have been through quite the horrific thing. It explains why they have been so distant. It also explains why they don't remember us as well. Their brains are trying to protect them from reliving all of that," he said. Arthur scowled. "From what it sounds like, we forced them to do that anyways," he said.

Francis nodded, leaning against a wall. "Mathieu may have lost his wings but it is Alfred who bears the emotional scars….Mathieu was lucky to have passed out. But poor Alfred…" Arthur shook his head, balling his fists. "I should have been there," he said. "We both should have been," said sighed. "We need to get our rest. We're going to need it if Alistair wants us to help him research tomorrow," he said. Francis nodded.

Alfred tossed and turned in his sleep. He hated thinking about what had happened that night. He doesn't even talk about it with Matthew. Now all he could see was flashes of blood and feathers. His brother's screaming filled the nightmares he kept having everytime he fell asleep. Alfred bit his lip, sitting up. He tried to focus on anything but the dream. He found that it helped keep Mattie from waking up and asking him what was wrong. He'd wondered how Mattie always seem to know but now it was obvious.

Arthur jerked awake when he felt a sense of terror wash over him. He saw up and froze, concentrating on his bonds. Everyone was asleep...except Alfred. Alfred was concentrating on hiding something. Arthur swore and got up, flying up to Alfred's door. He let himself in, finding Alfred trembling under the blankets. "Alfred?"

Alfred flinched and looked up. "Arthur?" he asked. Arthur sat at the edge of the bed. "What's wrong love? Bad dream?" he asked. Alfred shook his head. "N-No… I just couldn't sleep," he lied. Arthur frowned. "I know you're lying Alfred. The bond, remember?" he said. Alfred gripped the blankets.

"It's just a nightmare. I'm fine. I'm sorry I woke you up," said Alfred. Arthur shook his head and hugged Alfred, startling him. "Were you having dreams about that night?" he asked. Alfred sighed and nodded. "It's nothing. It happens when I think about it….Just don't tell Mattie. It makes him feel bad," he said.

Arthur sighed and pulled back from him. "I'm so sorry Alfred. I didn't realize how bad all of this was. Francis and I thought you didn't remember any of it," he said. Alfred scowled. "I wish I didn't," he said. Arthur put an arm around his shoulder. "Was it that horrific?" he asked. Alfred nodded, tearing up a little. "T-There was blood everywhere. M-Mattiew wouldn't stop screaming so they stuffed a rag in his mouth. I-I thought he was dead for a few minutes," he said.

Arthur hugged him, wrapping his wings around him protectively. "I'm so sorry you had to see that Alfred. If I could do anything to have prevented it, I would. I'm so sorry poppet," he said. Alfred sniffed, reluctantly hugging his brother. Arthur smiled and rubbed his back carefully, mindful of the scar tissue around the edges of his wings.

After a few minutes, Alfred yawned and squirmed away. Arthur frowned when a wing nearly hit him in the eye as Alfred suddenly stretched. He was about to tell Alfred off when he spotted one of the pale white scars on the tip of his wing. Alfred froze when he saw that Arthur was staring at someting and followed his gaze. Realizing what he was looking at, Alfred quiclky tucked his wings back and scowled at him. "There's nothing to look at," he said.

Arthur sighed and unfolded his left wing, revealing the deep scar on his wing. "Alfred you don't need to feel embarrased. It's just a scar. I got one of those the night you and Matthew were captured. That hunter nearly cut my wing in two," he said. Alfred winced, running a hand along it. "I'm sorry you got hurt," he said.

Arthur shook his head. "Don't be. That hunter knew what he was doing. He was trying to keep me from being able to fly after you. I wished I fast enough to avoid it," he said. Alfred started to look guilty so Arthur hugged him. "Get some sleep. Or do you need to have some tea before you try?" he asked. Alfred hesitated.

Arthur smiled a little. "Still afraid of the dark?" he asked. Alfred made a face. "No…" Arthur gave him a look. Alfred huffed. "How'd you know?" he asked. Arthur smiled softly, resisting the urge to smirk.

"You were terrified of the dark when you were younger. You were always afraid that there was some kind of monster out to get you. Most of the nights I'd find you curled up with Matthew, or if he was too tired to have you keep him up at night, I'd wake up to find you curled up under one of my wings," he said.

Alfred's face went red with embarrasment. "I-I'm not that afraid of the dark. Or monsters. It's the ghosts I'm afraid of," he said. Arthur chuckled. "Get under the covers. I'll stay until you fall asleep, alright?" he asked. Alfred nodded, looking slightly relieved, before burrowing back under the covers.

Arthur pat his hair. "Would it help if I told you a story?" asked Arthur. Alfred nodded hesitantly. Arthur smiled and started telling him an old story about a famous king from his old home. Alfred drifted off within minutes. Arthur smiled, pulling the covers over Alfred's wings and getting up, going downstairs.

He bumped into Francis at the opening to go downstairs. Francis rubbed an eye. "Alfred had a nightmare too?" Arthur nodded. "I should say Matthew had one as well?" he asked. Francis sighed and nodded. "He was having dreams of falling out of the sky. He's asleep now though," he said.

Arthur nodded. "Alfred was having flashback nightmares of when they were cutting off Matthew's wings. Francis's face fell. "Poor thing. How bad was he?" he asked. Arthur rubbed his face roughly. "He wasn't hysterical….My guess is that he's been having these nightmares for a while. He knew enough to try to calm himself down so that he wouldn't wake his brother up," said Arthur.

Francis sighed. "I'm sure that once we figure out whether or not we can help Matthew, that may help him get past all of this. Hopefully being back here is helping him do that. I fell bad for him. He just finished being healed from a tramatic wing injury and now we're forcing to relive the worst day of his life," said Francis.

Arthur sighed. "Are we doing this wrong? Is there a right way to do this?" he asked. Francis sighed, opening his mouth when a pillow hit Arthur in the back of the head. "Oi! Some people are trying to sleep. Mind keeping it down a bit could you?" said a very grumpy Irishman, his copper hair sticking up every which way.

"That's not the polite way of asking!" hissed Arthur back at his brother. "I don't care. You two are worse than a couple of girls gossiping in a bathroom," grumbled Reiley. "We were discussing a very serious mater. And by the way, you aren't getting your pillow back. Have fun sleeping on the couch without it!" said Arthur, picking up the pillow.

Reiley smirked. "Something tells me you already have a good idea of what that's like," he said. Arthur growled and threw the pillow at his brother, knocking him over. Reiley stood up and held his pillow up triumphantly. "Knew that'd get under your wings," he said. "You miserable git!" said Arthur, balling up his fists. He would have jumped down to start a fight with his brother if Francis hadn't quickly blocked the way.

"Hush you two. The boys are sleeping and so is Rhys," said Francis. "Like anyone can sleep with the ruckus you two are making," grumbled someone from the room below them in a Welsh accent. "Bloody hell, is everyone awake then?" asked Arthur. "They boys are still asleep. Let's keep it that way," snapped Francis.

They all fell silent, though Reiley and Arthur were having a glaring contest. Francis sighed. "Come on. Everyone should get their rest. You two can resume fighting in the morning. I need my beauty sleep," he said. Reiley and Arthur shot one more nasty look at each other before Arthur flew down to his room and went to bed.

 **Thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far! (Special Shout out to Anti-pineapples and Sapphire Roz) Reading your comments help me stop dragging my feet and try to entertain you guys a bit more. Also, shout out to everyone who's said they've enjoyed my transition titles and chapter titles. I was wondering when someone would pick up on that. Until next week! Next chapter will be a bit longer.**


	14. Chapter14:There's Hope For Him After-all

The next morning Alfred and Matthew sleepily made their way to the kitchen when Gilbird flew out of nowhere and hit Alfred in the head. "What the heck?" he asked, rubbing his head. Gilbird flew excitedly around the boys' head, peeping. Reiley sat up, rubbing his head. "Am I not allowed to sleep? Is that it? Who's bloody bird is that?" he asked.

"Gilbert's. I don't know why it's here," said Matthew. The bird started flying around Reiley's head, who started trying to swat the bird away. Francis walked into the kitchen, digging around for pots and pans, before he looked up to see the bird. "Is that Gilbird? Any idea why he's here?" asked Francis. Everyone shook their heads.

Francis sighed and reached out a hand for Gilbird to land on. The bird immediately started chirping to him. Francis rubbed his face, looking weary. "He's going to be here in two days. He says, and I quote, 'Nothing will stop the awesome me from coming. Prepare for my awesomeness!"

Reiley frowned. "What's wrong with that? Gilbert's a good drinking buddy of mine. Though he and Allistair should not go drinking with each other after last time," he said. Francis rolled his eyes. "He said somethings he shouldn't have about Matthew's wings. He didn't know how he lost them, but it was still upsetting. Arthur punched him for what he said," said Francis.

Reiley winced. "That bad? I haven't seen Arthur go pirate on someone for ages. That must have been a sight. How long did the fight go for?" he asked. Francis shook his head. "It didn't turn into a fight. We left so we could try to catch up with the boys….The hunter had shot Alfred shortly after," he said. Reiley made a face. "No wonder Arthur punched the guy. If another fight breaks out between them I might join," he said.

Franciis rubbed his face. "No more fights. We can't be letting the boys think it's alright to punch whoever decides to be a jerk," he said. "We're not babies. We already know that," protested Alfred. Matthew mumbled something under his breath that sounded like 'Too late.' "To us, lad, you're still a wee one. We've seen hundreds of years pass by. You two are still pretty young," said Reiley.

Francis frowned at Matthew. "What's this about starting fights?" he asked. "In my defense, that guy totally deserved it. He was pulling on my feathers when I was trying to get a drink. I told him to stop first," said Alfred. "You're too young to be drinking," said Francis, frowning even more. "Neither of us get carried away Francis. One of us is always sober if the other is drinking," said Matthew.

Arthur grumbled as he entered the kitchen. "Someone said something about getting a drink? That sounds bloody fabulous about now," he said. "How long until Allistair gets here?" asked Reiley quickly, not wanting to hear Alfred and Matthew get chewed out. Arthur sighed. "That depends on how many books and supplies he feels necessary to bring. Hopefully he'll be here in an hour or two," he said.

Rhys walked into the kitchen, grumbling under his breath as he set to make a pot of tea. "Morning Rhys. Did you sleep well?" asked Matthew politely. "It's hard to sleep when everyone is too busy yapping when you're trying to get some shut eye," he said. Arthur rolled his eyes as Francis got up to make breakfast. "Rhys isn't really a morning person."

"Shut it Arthur. Not like you're all sunshine and daisies in the morning either," snapped Rhys. The pot whistled and he quickly sat down with his cup of tea. "Oi Rhys. It looks like you, me, an' Allistair need to go rustle some feathers," said Reiley, sitting down next to his brothers. Rhys lowered his teacup, looking annoyed but intrigued. "Why is that?" He asked.

"Apparently Gilbert said something he shouldn't have about Matthew. He's the reason they left and Alfred got shot," said Reiley. "You really don't have to do that. Arthur already punched the guy," said Matthew hastily. "Besides, we can hold our own. If anyone should beat up the guy it should be me, but that's not exactly going to change anything," said Alfred.

"Lad we look out for our own. Only we are allowed to hurt members of our flock," said a voice in a Scotish accent behind them. They all turned to see Allistair dump a sack of books onto the ground. "Besides, Gilbert should be used to us walloping him. I've got the books. There's others in the cave, but don't expect me to keep lugging books back and forth. My wings are sore as it is," he said, rubbing a shoulder.

"Besides, it's not like Mum would have already shot an arrow in Gilbert's arse by now. She hated when fledglings from other flocks would pick on us, well, mostly Arthur," muttered Reiley. "Well I was already getting it from you three! I didn't need everyone else picking on me growing up!" said Arthur. "We wouldn't have let everyone else pick on you. We only did it to toughen you up you git," said Allistair, smacking his brother upside the head.

Arthur rubbed his head and glared at his brother. "I hope you don't plan on doing the same to Alfred and Matthew," he said. Allistair shook his head and gestured at the twins with a thumb. "Those two don't _need_ any more toughening up. They already survived two attacks by hunters and lived to tell the tale. They past the test with flying colors," said Allistair. Arthur scowled while Alfred and Matthew shared a grin.

"Breakfast!" said Francis, setting some croissants on the table with jelly and butter. Arthur scowled at Allistair, who gave him teasing smirks thoughout the meal, but it seems like the argument was put to rest temporarily.

After breakfast, Allistair passed out books. "Don't expect me to do all the reading. I already brought that sack of bricks over here. The twins and Francis can read from that pile since those are the only books in english. The rest of the books can be split up amongst us four. If you see anything about wings, ask one of us," he said, dropping a pile of books in English by the twins.

Alfred and Matthew blinked, Alfred reaching toward one of the books. He started flipping through it curiously. "So...how exactly does magic work?" he asked. Allistair snorted. "What kind of question is that?" he asked. "I mean...well, I meanhow does it work? What does it run on? Where does it come from?" He asked.

Reiley started chuckling. "Arthur, did you never teach him about magic before all this happened?" he said. Arthur scoffed. "Not like I had time to. Besides, they don't seem to remember much from before that night," he said. Rhys flipped through a book. "I'm sure there's a spell to fix that somewhere in here," he said.

"Magic is a sort of energy. It's a way of harnessing your life's energy, in some cases, to exert your will on nature via the proper channels," said Arthur. Alfred snorted. "Are you guys messing with me now?" he said. All four british brothers stared at him. Matthew sighed. "Alfred is more into science...It might take him a little while to really understand it," he said. Alfred rolled his eyes.

"Yes, well magic is real lad. Even if you don't believe in it. It doesn't just stop exisiting because you don't think it does," said Rhys. "Do you think we might have magic too?" asked Matthew. Alistair shrugged. "It could be possible. You two share enough of our blood. We can figure that out later if you'd like. Our first priority should be your wings though," said Alistair.

Matthew nodded, flipping through his book. "Y-You think it's really possible I can have wings again. How would that even work out?" asked Matthew. Alistair shrugged. "We'd either find a spell to grow them back or find out if there's a way to reattach your wings. I've never done this before, so it's still up in the air lad," he said.

Matthew sighed "No, it's fine. I just don't want to get my hopes up. It's not like I'd know how to fly even if I had them, anyways," he said. Alfred rolled his eyes and bumped his brother with a shoulder. "I'll teach you dude. Or you could alwas do what I did and jump off of things," he said. Matthew rolled his eyes. "I'd have so many broken bones doing that. I already know from watching you do it that it's a bad idea," he said.

Reiley snorted. "Any one of us would be willing to teach you lad," said Reiley. Francis nodded. "Mon petite, that surely won't be an issue. Everyone here, excluding your brother, has been flying for hundreds of years. We'd all be happy to teach you," he said. "And your brother. It seems he needs help learning how to compensate for that injured wing," said Arthur, flipping through a book. Alfred made a face. He thought he was doing pretty good considering.

Matthew smiled but rolled his eyes. "Neither of us knew that his wing didn't heal completely right. He's doing pretty good so far," said Matthew. Alfred grinned. Rhys frowned, glancing at a book. "I believe I may have found a way to get his wings back…" he said. Arthur frowned. "What's the catch?" he said.

Rhys sighed and passed the book to Arthur. Arthur mumbled under his breath as he read. "To recover wings read the following spell after...Finding the wings and touching them to the back?! We have to have the bloody wings on hand to be able to do it?!" asked Arthur, starting to get frustrated.

"What? How are we supposed to do that? It's not like we have them on hand. Is there any other way to get them back?" asked Francis, his heart tearing into two as he spotted the crestfallen look on Matthew's face. Alfred rubbed his twin's shoulder, wings slumping forward. "Is there anyway he can regrow them magically or something?" he asked.

Alistair shook his head. "Aye lad, I wish that were possible. But for that to happen, we would have to use more complicated, more dangerous spells. Those spells often call for something in exchange. The problem with those spells is that they often twist around the purpose of why you're using it to something else," he said.

"I don't want it then!" blurted Matthew. Everyone jumped and turned to him. Alistair had an eyebrow raised and Alfred looked stunned. "A-Are you sure Mattie? I'm sure they can find a way to make it work," he said hesitantly. "It's be a stretch. We'd have to be extremely careful on how we word the spell," said Arthur.

Matthew shook his head. "If it's something that might put you guys in danger, I rather not do it. I-It's not a big deal. I've gone this long without wings. I don't really mind it. I don't even remember having wings," he said ademently. Francis's face soften. "Oh mon petite…" he said, not sure how to respond.

Arthur shook his head. "No. I need to make this right. I told you that we would get your wings back if we can and I intend to follow through on that. A gentleman is only as good as his word. We will get your wings back," said Arthur. Reiley cleared his throat. "Well there is one thing," he said.

Heads turned in his direction. "This is not the time for one of your jokes," said Rhys flatly. Reiley rolled his eyes. "Oi, I know that. But I was thinking, the hunters cut off the wings to turn them into trophies right? They don't rip them off for the sake of destroying them. That's no fun to them. More than likely…." He trailed off.

"They're hanging in the living room of some bloody hunter somewhere," said Alistair, practically spitting. Arthur frowned. "But we tried to track him by the feather. Wouldn't that have led us to his wings?" he asked, a bit upset at the idea of someone hanging Matthew's down covered wings in some living room or hunting lodge.

"You tried to track him by his wings. You weren't tracking his actual wings," said Rhys, leaning back. Arthur scowled. "What's the difference? The spell should have worked either way," he said. Rhys shook his head. "You know spells, especially powerful spells like that, require you to be extremely specific. We might be able to find a spell to find his wings," he said.

Arthur thought about it. "That does make sense I suppose. I'll start looking for that spell," he said. Alfred frowned and raised his hand. "Um, quick question. Even if we find his wings and everything, won't they be tiny little fluffy wings? Like, I'm willing to help him find his wings and everything but I'm just kind concerned about how that would play out," he said.

Matthew's face went slightly pale as Allistair snorted. "Don't worry yourselves lads. We know a few spells to speed up any maturing that needs to be done with the wings. Besides, the spell should account for that when it reattaches his wings to his back," said Allistair. Reiley chuckled. "Though I suppose it would be entertaining to see what'd he'd look like with baby wings," he said. Arthur, Francis, and Rhys shot him glares.

"But what exactly do we do if we find the wings in hunter territory?" asked Matthew. "We storm the place, beat everyone up, take the wings, and go," said Alfred, pounding a fist into his hand. Francis and Arthur shared a grin. Quickly breaking into enemy territory to steal things was something they felt an almost nostalgia for. Allistair, noticing Arthur and Francis exchange glances rolled his eyes. "I suppose you really are related to these two," he said to Alfred.

Matthew swallowed. "I-I don't know about that. That sounds just as dangerous as the first idea," he said. "Nonsense Matthew. Both Francis and I were pirates. We've got experience in ramsacking enemies. We also have spent a few decades, on an off again, acting as soldiers or knights," said Arthur.

"Oui. Those tin suits were murder on my wings. I'm just glad that the chainmail was much easier to handle," said Francis, sweeping his hair over his ear and stretching out his wings. Arthur made a face, nodding. "I swear I still have some bruises from attempting to fly in those things," he said.

"As you can see, both of them know how to be absolute terrors if they put their minds to it. Or, in Arthur's case, without even try," said Allistair. Arthur swatted him. "What is that supposed to mean you git?" he said. "It means you sure know how to be an annoying wanker when you want to be," teased Reiley.

As the three started bickering, Rhys sighed and turned to Matthew, Francis, and Alfred. "Don't worry about all of this. I'll keep the others from giving you fledgling wings. Hopefully you'll be able to start flying within a week of the spell, if everything works out the way it needs to," he said. Matthew smiled. "Merci."

After a few minutes, the Kirkland brothers seemed to settle down. And by settle down, I mean Allistair, Reiley, and Arthur all decided that they needed someting to drink. "So...when do we do the spell?" asked Matthew. "And how does this whole reattachment thing work? Hasn't it been detached too long to be reattached without making him sick or something?" asked Alfred.

Rhys shook his head, watching his brothers carefully out of the corner of his eyes. "No. The wings will still carry some of Matthew's life energy. That's part of the reason why only people who are very close to you can touch them. They'll stay alive as long as he's alive. That's why hunters feel the need to come after us so often even though there's not that many," he said.

The twins gave him a confused look. "What do you mean?" asked Alfred. Francis sighed. "After we die, any wings turned into trophies immediately start to disintegrate. They turn to dust and collapse on themselves. When that happens, the wings are no longer useable for showing off," said Francis.

"I thought you guys were immortal," said Alfred. "Yes well not many of us managed to get captured and it's often the ancients that get captured if anything. After getting so big or so old and powerful, some of them end up thinking they're invincible until they get ambushed by hunters," said Rhys.

Francis nodded. "It happened to my grand papa and his German friend. Their wings lasted a little bit longer than most wings do after being cut off due to their power, even when they died. Though, with how brutal and despicable some of these hunters are, I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't just keep hunting us just for the sake of wanting to hurt someone," he said.

"But are you completely sure this isn't more dangerous than just using a spell to get the wings back? T-These aren't like other humans. They know how to hurt us," said Matthew. Francis ruffled his hair before giving him a hug. "Mathieu, don't worry about us. We wouldn't do anything like this if we weren't sure we could handle it. You'll have your wings back in no time," said Matthew.

Alfred bounced up and down, his wings fluttering excitedly. "Mattie, I know so many tricks I can show you. Ooh, this means I finally have someone I can race against too! I wonder what your wings will look like. Do you think he'll be fast as me or able to fly as high? Dude, wait until the villagers see you with wings," he started rambling.

Matthew nodded, forcing a smile. He had a bad feeling about this but if everyone, especially the older, more experienced avians, felt like it was the best option, he supposed he could give it a try. Maybe they got lucky and the wings weren't even in a hunter's lodge. Maybe they were in an elder's cottage or university or something somewhere. He mentally frowned at that. He wasn't sure how comfortable he was to breaking into something like that either. But he supposed it was better than breaking into a nest of dangerous hunters.

Alfred kept happily chatting next to him. Matthew sighed. If he was honest with himself, he always was slightly jealous of his brother's ability to fly and was sick of having to be carried around like some invalid. If it took a little danger to get his wings back...well he suppose it could be well worth it. It seemed like the older avians had this well in hand and knew what they were doing. He was sure they could all easily work together on this.

Arthur slowly started dozing off before jerking himself out of his sleep and refocusing his attention on the spell book in his hands. His brothers have promised to stick around and help him pour over the books but he was afraid that they'd miss something during all the time they spend bickering with each other.

He could feel his eyelids threatening to collapse. He shook his head and forced himself to read the swimming words on the page. It was well past midnight and everyone else was asleep. Arthur jumped when a hand suddenly touched his shoulder. He looked up, barely restraining himself from punching whoever it was in the gut.

"Angelterre. All this studying is going to be the death of you. Get some sleep. The books will stil be here in the morning. We'll all help you look through them," he said nicely. Arthur frowned, shaking his head. "You and the boys don't know magic. My brothers are always fighting. What if we miss something? It's better if I do what I can on my own to make sure we're seeing everything," he said.

Francis shook his head. "You can't read if you're so tired the words are swimming on the page. Go to sleep. We can keep reading through the books in the morning," insisted the frenchman. Arthur opened his mouth but he scowled when someone in the living room butt in. "Go to bed won't ya? It's hard to sleep with you two flapping your gums," grumbled someone in a Irish accent.

"Your the one who should shut your yap. It's not like anyone can sleep with you yelling you git," grumbled a scotish accent. "I'm not the one having a bloody conversation when others are sleeping," argued Reiley. "I'll give you one last warning to shut your trap or I shut it for you. I already had to fly to the mountain and back carrying those books. I just want an hour without hearing another Kirkland's voice," muttered Allistair.

"And what are you going to do about it?" mumbled a sleepy irishman. There was a yelp and the sound of someone falling off the couch. "There. Now shut up and get to sleep," grumlbled Allistair smugly. Arthur facepalmed. "I can't go to sleep now. I have to separate these two idiots now," he said as he heard Reiley jump onto Allistair.

Francis shook his head. "Let them act like children if they want to. Go to bed before you end up falling asleep on your feet," he muttered. Arthur muttered something before turning to go to bed. Francis shook his head and put the books back into their pile before goint to bed as well, ignoring the fact that Rhys, awaken by his brothers, had gotten up to put them both in headlocks.

 **I'm glad that you guys seem to be liking what I'm writing so far. Because of that, I decided to throw in some fluff and happy times in the story...for now. I mean, it's still my job as an author to torture the characters a little so that'll be fun. Until next time.**


	15. Chapter 15: Oh Oh Oh It's Magic

The next morning, Matthew had somehow gotten up earlier than everyone. He climbed down the ladder and walked through the living room, surprised to find the Kirkland brothers, minus Arthur, sleeping in a heap on the floor. There was one blanket pulled over the three of them and the couch cushions were spread all over the room. Allistair was underneath the two younger ones, covering them with a wing.

Matthew smiled and walked into the kitchen, pulling out pans to make pancakes. After a few minutes, Alfred came down. "You see the others in the living room?" he asked. Mattie nodded. "I made pancakes," he said, sliding a few onto a plate. Alfred perked up. "Great! Hey, I, uh, found a bottle of ink by the pile of books Artie was looking at yesterday…" he said.

Mattie smirked. "I don't think they'd notice anything. They're pretty sound asleep," he said. Alfred grinned. "Just finish your pancakes in case they wake up and try to go after you," said Matthew, handing him a bottle of maple syrup. Alfred nodded, scarfing down the pancakes before getting up.

"You need something to write with?" asked Matthew. Alfred shook his head, pulling out a molting feather. "This'll do. When's Gilbert supposed to show?" he asked. Matthew shrugged. "I don't know, but I really don't want any fighting. Hopefully someone is willing to break it up if a fight does end up happening," he said.

Alfred scowled. "He was being a jerk," he said. Matthew sighed. "He's already been punched and chewed out by Francis and Arthur. Go draw on their faces before they wake up," said Matthew. Alfred nodded and entered the living room, freezing when he found Gilbert leaning over Allistair with a bottle of ink that Alfred had left on the coffee table for safe keeping.

"What are you doing?" asked Alfred, wings stretching out a little. Gilbert looked up and quickly put a finger to his lips. "Shh. Don't raise your voice. I don't want them waking up before I finish. They'd have my hide if they caught me in the act," said Gilbert. Alfred scowled at him, taking the pot of ink out of his hands. Gilbert blinked in surprise, thinking maybe he had underestimated how long Alfred and his brother were going to be mad about what he said.

"That's what _I_ was going to do. Find your own grumpy sleeping uncles to draw on. I even had the ink set out so I can do it after I had breakfast," grumbled Alfred, squatting down to draw on Reiley's face. "Uncles?" asked Gilbert. "It makes more sense to call them uncles to be honest," said Alfred, drawing a rainbow onto Reiley's face. Gilbert grinned. "Add a four leaf clover to his face. He hates it when I call him Shamrock," he said.

Alfred grinned and handed him the pot. They both continued drawing on their faces before stepping back to admire their work. "What are you two doing?" asked an English voice behind them, making the two jump. Alfred spun around to find an amused Frenchman and a grumpy Brit standing behind them.

"Um…" Alfred trailed, hiding the pot of ink behind his back. Arthur glanced over to his brothers before covering his mouth in an attempt to hold back his laughter. "Oh that's bloody brilliant Alfred. I knew I taught you well," he said. Francis rolled his eyes. "I don't think they will find it as funny as you do mon cher," he said.

"We'll just blame it on Gilbert. After all, I have a feeling that he was the one who drew hearts on Allistair's face," said Francis, raising an eyebrow at the albino. Gilbert chuckled. "I see you're starting to recognize my artistic touch Francy-Pants," he said. Francis rolled his eyes but crossed his arms. "What are you doing here?" he asked.

"I wanted to apologize to your little birdies. I didn't know that he was your kid, that he had been attacked by fledglings, and I didn't think. I'm sorry Francis. I'm sorry I made you and Arthur upset," said Gilbert, managing to sound sincere. Francis gestured that they should enter the kitchen. They left the living room and went into the kitchen where Arthur scowled at the Prussian.

"It wasn't just us that you managed to upset. You do realize that because of your insensitivity, Alfred and Matthew were shot down by hunters when they attempted to go back tot heir village. We almost lost the boys all over again because of your idiocity. Alfred broke a wing, a wing that was already injured, because of your rudeness," said Arthur.

Matthew looked up when they entered, slightly surprised to find Arthur lecturing Gilbert. He moved to stand by his twin. Gilbert's wings drooped and he looked at the two brothers. "I-I am deeply sorry for causing this mess. What I said was rude and insensitive. I deserved the punch Arthur gave me along with the lectures. I can understand if you two don't forgive me," he said.

Matthew hesitated. "I suppose I forgive you. There's no use holding grudges. I'd be okay with starting over again if you are," he said. Gilbert looked at Alfred who frowned and crossed his arms. "I guess you seem like a pretty cool guy. If Mattie forgives you, I guess I can too. But if you act like a jerk to him again, it won't be just Arthur punching you," he said.

Gilbert nodded, grinning. "Wunderbar! And to try to make up how much of a jerk I was, I'm willing to help you guys find a way to get his wings back!", he said. Arthur blinked. "How did you know that that's what we're trying to do. Gilbert shrugged. "Pierre told Gilbird and Gilbird told me."

"Pierre is such a gossip. I don't know where he gets it," said Francis, glaring at the white dove that innocently chirped at Francis from a nook in the wall. Arthur rolled his eyes and turned to Gilbert. "Are you sure you want to help? So far, it looks like it is possible that we may need to break into hunter's territory in order to get them back," he said.

Gilbert grinned. "Even better. I've been wanting to get back at them for what they did to Sylv," he said. Francis smirked. "And how is my little sister?" he asked. Gilbert smiled. "She's fine. She says she's sick of wurst and wants to cook more escargot," he said. Francis smiled brightly. "Well she is from Monaco. Her taste is almost as good as mine," he said. Arthur scoffed but moved to pour himself some tea.

Matthew tilted his head. "We have a sister?" he said. Francis waved his hand, moving to butter a croissant. "Of sorts. I'm sure she would love to meet you after everything blows over. Our first is to get you the wings as soon as possible," he said. "Gil's dating your sister?" asked Alfred, moving to sit down and have some coffee.

Gil's face turned a little red. "We're mated actually," he said. "Mated?" asked Matthew, setting a plate of pancakes in front of the albino. "We'll tell you when you're older," said Arthur quickly. Francis rolled his eyes. "Mon ami, no need to treat them as if they're fragile," he said. He turned to the twins, looking excited.

"It's when two avians share the same soul. When they are ready to show their feelings for each other, one will either sing, dance, or fly for the other one. And if the other one accepts, they will join in. If they kiss, or," he wiggled his eyebrows, causing both the twins and Gilbert to go red, and Arthur to hit him, "they will be bounded in the most intimate way possible," he said.

Alfred made an ick face. He opened his mouth to speak when Reiley came in. "Oi, what you talking about in here that made the boys so red?" he asked, grabbing a tea cup and pouring himself some tea. "Mating," muttered Matthew. Reiley smirked. "Were you two telling them about how you two are mates?" he asked, sitting down, kicking up his feet, and turning to watch his brother and Francis turn bright red.

"I-I was drunk! I didn't think you were listening. I certainly did not think that you'd join in. It doesn't count," sputtered Arthur, looking embarrased. Francis gave him a smirk. "If I remember correctly, you begged me to let you serenade me before I force you to stop drinking," he said. "Like I said, it doesn't bloody count if I'm drunk! I don't even remember singing to you!" sputtered Arthur. "Ew," said Alfred. Reiley wrinkled his nose and nodded. "I don't fully understand their relationship sometimes myself boy," he said.

"So you and his, our, sister are mated?" asked Matthew, wanting to change the topic. Gilbert nodded, smiling a little. "She sang to me...She can't fly because hunters clipped her wings," he said. "So how do we figure out where Mattie's wings are?" asked Alfred. "We'll need the rest of the lot to perform the spell. I think they're still sleeping," huffed Reiley.

Alfred and Gil exchanged a look before snorting a little. Even Arthur was smirking a bit as he set a plate of pancakes in front of his brother. "What's got you all smirking?" asked Reiley. Arthur rolls his eyes. "You look funny is all," he said. Reiley rolled his eyes and smirked before taking a bite of his pancake. "If anyone looks funny, it's you Artie," he retorted.

Rhys walked in, spotted Reiley, and frowned before touching his cheek where a picture of a lamb was. Reiley cracked up as Rhys turned to Arthur. "Aren't you a bit old for this?" he asked. Arthur smirked. "It was our newest guest," he said. Rhys rolled his eyes and left to get his face washed.

Reiley grinned. "I'm glad one of you two decided to draw on his face. I was planning to when I woke up," he said, holding up his teacup in salute. Arthur rolled his eyes. "Over a thousand years old and yet you manage to be still be so childish," he said. "Says the one who still has the bunny Mum made you when you were a wee one," retorted Reiley.

Arthur's face went red and he quickly hid it by taking a sip from his cup. Francis smirked. "So, how long until Allistair wakes up do you suppose?" he asked. Allistair walked in, ginger locks flying ever which way. "I'm already up ye gits," he started before spotting Reiley. "I see you've finally decided to make some improvements to your face," Allistair chuckled to his brother.

Reiley snorted. "If anyone made an improvement it's you. You finally decide to show your more feminine side?" he asked. Allistiar blinked before picking up a nearby pan and looking at his reflection. "Alright. Who's the wise guy?" he asked, before using a nearby rag to scrub off the ink. "It was the albino," said Alfred quickly.

Allistair's eyes widened and he spun around, spotting Gilbert sitting at the table eating pancakes and sputtered. "You let the bloody arsehole into the nest? And on top of it all, gave him pancakes?!" he asked. Gilbert nervously swallowed his last bite of pancake. "Um, Ja. I apologized and we're all cool now," he said.

"Huh, I miss that part," said Reiley, rubbing at a little bit of stubble on his cheek. Allistair scowled. "This man is the reason the twins got hurt and you just sit next of him like you're old pals with him," he said to Reiley. Reiley shrugged. "I was thinking of taking a page out of your book," he said.

Gilbert frowned. "What exactly does that mean?" he asked. He knew Allistair could be someone you didn't want to tussle with, especially if he decides to jump into a barfight. Allistiar grinned. "I trained you well young leprechaun," he said. Arthur shuddered a little. Alfred blinked. "Am I missing something here dudes?" he asked.

"We'll get our revenge on you for messing with our boys here. But you won't know where, how, or when it will take place," said Allistair, grinning as he poured himself a cup of tea. Gilbert swallowed. The anticipation was going to kill him before they did. He forced a cocky grin. "You don't scare me. I bet you'll forget about it," he said.

Arthur rolled his eyes. "I once thought the same before I woke up tied upside down to a tree after stealing his sword," he said. "You shouldn't be playing with swords that young. Besides, you know my claymore is off limits," snapped Allistair. Matthew cleared his throat. "When were we planning on doing the spell?" he asked.

Allistair sipped his tea. "I suppose after breakfast is well enough," he said before turning. "Rhys, get your bum out here and get some food in you. I don't need you passing out during the spell because you ran out of energy," he called. Rhys appeared in the doorway with a sigh. "I wouldn't pass out. I'm not a lightweight like Reiley," he said. Reiley scowled.

"I ain't a lightweight. I pass out during a spell one time and suddenly I'm marked for life," he said, exasperated. "You were summoning flowers and you passed out," said Rhys with a smirk. Arthur smirked as well. "You fell on top of the very flowers you were summoning," he said. Reiley scowled. "Rub it in will you? That was five years ago and I was hungover," he said. Arthur rolled his eyes and left to look through the spell books once more.

Rhys rolled his eyes and sat down to have his breakfast, shooting Gilbert a dark stare before doing so. The Prussian swallowed. The twins may have forgiven him, Francis too, but he wasn't sure the Kirklands were up for that yet...or if they'd ever be. They, despite all their attempts to hide it, were a tight knit flock that cared for each other.

He remembered how upset they all were. Allistair seemed the most upset aside from Arthur, though he tried to hide it. Gilbert was the one who would go looking for him when he got upset over it and went on a drinking binge. He'd give old Ivan a run for his money by chugging drinks only to start wanting to pick fights because he thought someone was a hunter.

Rhys finished his meal and stood up. "Where should we do this?" he asked. Reiley came running in. "Oi, you know that spell we were going to use? I found a spell specifically for tracking and reattaching lost wings," said Arthur, coming in. Allistair raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure? We've looked through all the books," he said.

"I looked through it again because I knew one of us, Reiley, would have missed it," said Arthur. Reiley threw his hands in the air. "What is it? International pick on the Irish guy day?" he grumbled. "It was in your stack," said Rhys, taking the book from Arthur and flipping through it. "This is exactly what we need. What do you think?" he asked before handing the book to Allistair.

Allistair furrowed his brows as he looked through the book before nodding. "Aye. It is what we need. It'd take a lot of energy to do it," he said, flipping the page. He frowned as he read the next page. "After we do the spell, we only have a week to find and reattach his wings… If we don't we'll have to cut the bond between him and his wings or he'll become sick," said Allistair.

Francis frowned. "How sick exactly? Is this dangerous?" he asked. Allistair read through the spell. "Flu like symptoms after the first three days of the spell. He won't start getting really sick until after the week is up and it will be a gradual decline. But we can cut the bond if it gets too out of hand," he said.

"What happens if we cut the bond?" asked Alfred, glancing at his brother. He didn't like the idea if it was going to make his twin sick. Arthur sighed. "It means we lose any hope of finding his wings, at least until we come up with some sort of other spell. Unfortunately, that would be unlikely since that bond is what any spell would use to trace Matthew's wings. This may be our only go at reattaching them," he said.

Rhys turned to Matthew. "The decision is yours. We'll all help you as much as we possibly can either way. Do you want to take the risk or see if we're able to come up with something else?" he asked. Matthew hesitated. "And that's...really unlikely, isn't it?" he asked. All four Kirklands nodded.

"I-I suppose it's worth the risk. I don't mind getting a little sick if it means I get them back. I know you guys will look after me and keep things from going out of hand. A-And if it turns out we can't get them back before I get too sick...I've been without wings long enough that it doesn't bother me," he said with a slight shrug at the end. Francis threw his arms around the Candian. "Of course we'll look after you! Don't worry mon petite. Everything will be fine," he said.

"Now that that's settled, we should go outside and start setting up for the spell," said Arthur, taking back the spell book from his eldest brother. "You have all the materials we need?" asked Reiley lazily as he got up from his spot on the table. "We'll need that feather Matthew," said Rhys nicely. Matthew blinked before nodding and running out of the room to retrieve it.

He came back a few seconds later, holding it. "What do you need me to do?" asked Matthew. "We'll instruct you on what to do when it's time to do it. Don't worry," said Allistair, ruffling Matthew's hair before leaving the kitchen. Arthur huffed. "He doesn't even know where we're doing the spell, git," he said.

"Then where are we doing it if not outside Arthur," asked Reiley, raising a shaggy eyebrow. "On top of the caves. It's where I normally do spells that require drawings so animals don't ruin the chalk," said Arthur. "He'll figure it out," said Rhys, shrugging before stretching out his wings and flying outside.

"Need a ride Mattie?" grinned Alfred. Mattie sighed before nodding. Alfred gave him a smile and lifted him up, flying. " _Hey don't worry Mattie. Just give it a few days and you won't need me to fly you everywhere!"_ said Alfred happily. Matthew smiled a little. " _I suppose that's true but what if it doesn't work? Or if something goes wrong? I don't want anyone getting hurt because of me,"_ he responded.

Alfred rolled his eyes. " _Dude, it'd be worth it. Don't worry about us. We'll be fine. And if it doesn't work, I'm your brother dude. I don't mind being your wings. I've been your wings for the past fifty or so years,"_ said Alfred. Matthew smiled. Sometimes his obnoxious brother could really be kind and thoughtful. " _Thanks Alfie. I really needed that."_

Alfred set Matthew on the cave top before coming to a stumbling landing. Arthur's face filled with sympathy while Reiley winced and Rhys sighed. Alfred mentally made a face but didn't say anything. He knew they were all thinking about his messed up wing. "Where's Allistair?" he asked, hoping to distract them from making any comments about his landing.

Allistair landed beside him, shaking out his wings. "I'm right here. You could have said that we were meeting up here," he grumbled. "Maybe if you didn't immediately leave you would have known," said Arthur smugly. "What do we do first for the spell?" asked Rhys, jumping in quickly to avoid any fighting that was sure to come if no one distracted the two.

Arthur glanced at the book, putting it down on a stand made out of rock he must have made for occasions like this. "Take the chalk and draw a circle," he said. Alfred grabbed the chalk and carefully drew a circle, Arthur humming in approval. "Good. That's earth. Now there are two parts of the spell. The first one centers around the feather to help track the wings. The second part is centered around Matthew as we try to reattach," he said.

"Just tell us what the second part is mate. No need to give us an entire lesson," said Reiley. Arthur scowled at him before scanning through the spell. "The four needed casters should possition themselves around the circle at the four cardinal directions. Matthew, put the feather directly in the circle before going over to your brother.

"Alfred...don't smudge the chalk and stand with Gilbert outside the circle. No one can break the circle while we cast the spell. It could ruin any chances of this working and the spell could go wild, understood? No matter what happens, do not break the circle unless one of us tells you to," said Arthur seriously. All three nodded. Alfred and Gilbert took care to stand far away from the chalk circle.

Matthew swallowed and watched as the four brothers arranged themselves round the circle before he quickly ducked in, mindful of the chalk outline and not to smudge it, and putting the feather in the middle. He hopped back over the line and went to join Alfred and Gilbert.

"I've never seen old Artie cast a spell before. Normally in the market he only offers potions and refuses to do any magic tricks for me," said Gilbert. "Pff, it's not magic magic. It's just something to do with energy and all that," said Alfred skeptically, crossing his arms. "It can be both Alfred," muttered Matthew.

"Would the gallery please hush over there? We need to concentrate," muttered Arthur, gesturing for Francis to hold the book for him. "Before we start, Matthew, you might start feeling a bit strange when we cast the spell. It's normal but if you feel too uncomfortable, say something," said Rhys. Matthew silently nodded.

With that warning, all four Kirklands directed their attention to the circle, watching Arthur as he scanned the pages of the spell book for the last time, green eyes moving quickly to make sure nothing is being forgotten. When he was ready, he gave his brothers a curt nod and began chanting in a language older than English.

After saying a few lines, Allistair joined Arthur, stretching his arms and wings as he mirrored his youngest brothers. Reiley entered the chant a few lines after Allistair and Reiley jumped in a few lines after Rhys. All four brothers stood with their arms arched toward the center and their wings stretched to hug the outline of the circle.

As they kept chanting, the brothers blinked and their eyes suddenly started glowing. Alfred jumped in surprise, Matthew's jaw dropped, and Gilbert grinned with excitement. A second or two after their eyes started glowing emerald green, the feather slowly started floating. Once it was over their heads, the chalk outline started glowing a hot white.

There was a bright flash and the Kirklands dropped their wings, still chanting. Slowly, an image started forming withing the circle. Alfred took a step forward to get a better look before Matthew quickly stopped his twin before he got too close. "It's a map," whispered Gilbert. Alfred and Matthew blinked. It was a map… or at least a bird's eye view of the earth.

The images in the circle blurred through, as if the circle was racing to find something. Eventually, the blur started to slow down before settling on a view of a portion of the forest. The glow of the circle died down to where it was not as bright. The four Brits' chanting started fading as one by one they each dropped out, starting with Reiley.

He dropped his wings and his eyes returned to their normal green when he stopped. He was followed by Rhy and Allistair until it was only Arthur standing with his wings spread. Arthur's voice got quieter and quieter until he closed the chant with one last word, dropping his wings and blinking so his eyes would return to normal.

He took a step back from the circle and gave the onlookers a tired smile. "There. It's safe to approach the circle now. It's basically a giant interactive map until we either reattach the wings or snip the bond," he said, sounding almost breathless. "Are you alright Artie?" asked Alfred hesitantly.

Arthur scowled a little. "Don't call me Artie. My name is Arthur. And yes. I'm fine. Just a bit drained but it's completely normal. Don't worry about me," he said. Francis rolled his eyes before putting a hand on Arthur's shoulder, giving him a little bit of energy. Alfred took this cue to help out Reiley before turning to Rhys.

Rhys shook his head. "You shouldn't exert yourself to help me. I'll be fine lad. Just need a nap," he said. "Don't worry! I got plently of energy to go around," beamed Alfred. Matthew smirked. "That's an understatement. You could probably charge everyone here up three times over," he said.

"Always had to keep him from bouncing off the walls," chuckled Arthur, sounding a bit more refreshed. "Is that so?" asked Rhys, looking over his American relative. "Yup! I don't even feel the least bit tired after helping Reiley out," chirped Alfred, putting a hand on Rhys's shoulder and quickly giving him some energy. "Are you alright?" asked Rhys when Alfred had finished.

Alfred stretched before shrugging. "I'm fine dude. I mean, I could definitley go for some candy or something sugary and or cafinated, but I'm not going to pass out or anything," he said. Rhys blinked before quickly grabbing Alfred by the shoulders and closing his eyes. "Hey! What the heck? D-Did I do the energy thingy wrong?" yelped Alfred, shocked.

"You did it just fine just...hold still and let me concentrate," said Rhys. Alfred gave Matthew, who had finished helping Allistair, a look. Matthew shrugged, looking as confused and weirded out as Alfred. Allistair frowned before grabbing Matthew by the shoulders as well and closing his eyes. "Arthur?" asked Francis. "Yes Frog?" asked Arthur. "Why are your brothers grabbing the boys?" he asked, sounding very confused.

"He's doing an energy scan you git," huffed Arthur. "Um...A what?" asked Alfred. Rhys pulled away, looking Alfred over with a puzzled and cloudy expression. "Should I be worried?" asked Alfred. "...What is it Rhys?" asked Arthur, speaking as if he was trying to keep from sounding excited. Francis looked between the two, frowning.

Rhys glanced at his youngest brother. "His energy is higher than the average avian," he said. "Are you sure?" asked Arthur, raising an eyebrow. Rhys nodded before smiling. "I'm sure," he said. Allistair let go of Matthew. "Aye. This lad's is higher as well, though not as high as his brother's. Must be Francis's influence," he said.

"What are you two talking about? Are the twins okay?" asked Francis, sounding worried. Reiley grinned, throwing his arms around the twins' shoulders. "Aye Francis, they're perfectly fine. Even better, they have magic as well," he said, ruffling the boys' hairs. "Magic?" asked Francis. "A-Are you sure? Alfred is normally hopped on sugar and I guess I do have too much of a love for syrup as well…" said Matthew.

"It's nothing to be afraid of love," said Arthur happily as he ruffled Matthew's hair, "In all honesty, I'm excited to hear it. I finally have someone to pass down my expertise to." Alfred grinned. "So we can do real magic? This is't a prank or something right? How come we haven't ever noticed before?" he asked.

"I thought you didn't believe in magic," said Matthew, raising an eyebrow. "It's not magic-magic. It's like...superpower magic! We are mutants with excess energy we can use to save the world!" said Alfred, his imagination starting to get away from him. The Kirklands rolled their eyes and Gilbert grinned. "Sure kid. Bushy Brows, how come you haven't figured this out when they were younger?" he asked.

Four pairs of bushy eyebrows twitched. "They were young so their energy hadn't built up quite as much, though they did fluctuate often enough to make me a bit suspicious. I was going to sit them down and test them that night but…anyways, some fledglings develop magic at different paces. The two of them were a bit delayed," Arthur said.

"And I thought Alfred was the only slow one," muttered Matthew teasingly, earning an elbow to the side. "Mean. So...what does this mean?" asked Alfred. "Well we have to train you two!" said Reiley happily. "But it should wait after we reattach the wings. Trying to do too many things at once will only get us distracted," said Rhys.

"Rhys does have a point. But it could be dangerous if we let you two run around with no idea of what you're capable of, especially now that you're aware of having magic. Just the knowledge alone is enough to little accidents or incidents every now and again until you've learned how to use it properly," said Arthur.

"Aye. We'll just train them when and if we have downtime and keep an eye on their magic. We're all bonded so that can help us watch their energy levels and guide them along when the spike," said Allistair before walking over to the twins. Ruffling their hair, he said, "You two obviously have Kirkland blood in you if you're able to wield magic. Only Lukas and that Romanian bloke have magic. It's a very rare thing to have," he grinned.

 **A bit more fluff before the action/torture starts right up again. Let's just say that things aren't going to be exactly what they seem as the story goes on. Things to look forward to: A Traitor, An Ally, Long-told Suffering. See you next week!**


	16. Chapter 16:The Torture Returns

Gilbert cleared his throat. "While that's great and all...are we going to ignore the bird's eye view of the forest sitting in the glowy circle thing over there?" he asked, holding Gilbird to keep him from flying into the circle. "It's okay Gilbert. We can enter the circle as we wish now. That portion of the spell is finished," said Arthur, walking over to the circle

Allistair walked away from the twins and frowned, muttering something that caused the circle to close in on a cottage. "That's where his wings are...That's not very far away from here," he said. "That's great! We can just barge in, do a smash and grab, leave, and reattach them to Mattie in like a day," said Alfred happily.

Rhys shook his head. "They wouldn't live so close to our kind without some sort of boobie traps or magical traps. They know we would take them out if we could fine them," he said, rubbing his chin as he looked over the cottage with a calculating eye. "Magical traps? I thought they were human," said Matthew.

"Some humans are able to harness the same energy as us. It's incredibly rare but happen," said Reiley. "Aye. At least that's according to the legend," said Allistair. "Ooh, there's even a legend here? What's the story?" asked Alfred, curious. Francis frowned. "It's not a very nice one," he said. "Just tell em. They aren't babes any more," muttered Reiley. Arthur sighed.

"Legion says that the first hunter was an old avian who lost his wings. After a few decades of living among us, the loss of his wings made him go mad. He hid in the woods, trying to find a way to get them back. For reasons unknown, he came back to the mountain and took away two members of his old flock before killing them. They were his own sisters," he said.

Reiley nodded solemnly. "Not only that, but when he found that he couldn't use the wings of his siblings as his own, he went to a nearby village and convinced those who would believe him our kind exist that we were evil. He made them think we were planning on overtaking the village. With that, he started a group of hunters, teaching generation after generation the perfect ways to track us down and kill us," he said.

Alfred blinked. "You were right. That wasn't a nice story. And no one has bothered going after him? What about his sisters?" he asked. Gilbert shrugged. "We never found the bodies. The guy was a creep to begin with. So was his youngest sister. I happened a few centuries ago," he said.

Matthew swallowed. "Do you think he's the one who took our wings?" he asked. Arthur sighed after hesitating a bit. "I didn't get a good look at them when they had you boys...I'm not sure," he said. Allistair looked up. His youngest brother was hiding something. "Arthur, what is it?" asked Rhys, also looking a bit suspicious of whatever his brother was holding back.

Upon seeing the hesitation reappear in Arthur's eyes, Allistair frowned. "Out with it boy," he growled. Arthur frowned. "I thought I saw him in the clearing...when Alfred fell and broke his wing," he said. Francis choked on the sip of wine he was drinking. "What?! And you decided to waint until now to mention it?!" he said.

"Wait, I thought you finished off the git you saw in the forest," said Reiley, giving his brother an impressed look. Arthur huffed. "I'm plenty sure I did. Not many people can withstand a shot to the head. He wasn't moving when I left," he said. "Did you even bother to check for a pulse?" asked Francis.

"I was kinda busy trying to save Alfred's life! I didn't see you doing anything at the moment!" retorted Arthur. They immediately started arguing. Matthew facepalmed. "Oi, would you two act your age?" shouted Reiley. Arthur and Francis grumbled before sitting down. "Alright...We should really go back to the clearing and check to see if he really is dead," said Alfred.

Arthur nodded. "I'll send Lukas a message. They're closer and they'd be able to handle any of his tricks," he said. "One of us should go too," said Alfred, not wanting to just dump this on another flock. "I agree with Alfred, someone should go help them figure out if he's the man Arthur killed," said Rhys.

"Good. I think I can figure out where he is easy then," said Alfred, stretching his wings. Arthur's eyes widen. "Oh no you don't. You need to stay and rest. You've already been put in danger way too many times. Let the adults handle this," he said. Alfred narrowed his eyes. "You guys might be mililenia older than I am but I can handle myself. I've been doing that for over fifty years," he said.

Before Arthur could lecture Alfred on respecting his elders, Gilbert jumped in. "Ja, that sounds like a good idea to me. Alfred would know what the hunter looked like and I know what Ivan looked like. The rest of you need to stay here and figure out that spell. Matthias and I could show him a few flying tricks while we're at it," he said.

Francis sighed. "Fine. I suppose it wouldn't hurt. I'm sure the others in his flock would be happy to see that he's alright," he said before Arthur could get a word in edgewise. Alfred grinned while Matthew looked a little warry. " _Hurry up, get your things, and go. We'll keep Arthur distracted,"_ said Allistair. Alfred gave him a grin before flying off to get his things.

When he came out of his room, Gilbert was waiting by his door, a sack slung over his shoulder. "Let's get going. If we get there soon enough, maybe Matthias would be up for getting some drinks," he grinned. "Non, he's much too young for that. Just make sure he gets home safely Gilbert," said Francis, coming up to meet them.

"Don't worry. He'll be fine. In fact, he'll be in awesome shape when he comes back. After all, I do rub off on people," he said. Francis smirked. "I think that's what Arthur's afraid of. Go ahead and take the back exit. Arthur isn't exactly thrilled with the idea of letting Alfred leave the nest so soon," said Francis.

Alfred frowned. "Dude, I know you guys missed us and all but he really needs to let up. We've been on our own most of our lives and we've been fine so far. I'll be fine," he said. Francis sighed. "Just be careful alright mon petite? Also, if you go drinking I'm sure Arthur will have you caged so don't have too much fun," he said.

Alfred rolled his eyes. "I'll see you in a few days. Don't worry," he said before flying out of the caves. He quickly gave Mattie a goodbye hug before following Gilbert into the sky. Arthur frowned when he spotted the two flying away. "I have a bad feeling about this," he said. Reiley rolled his eyes. "You're not the diviner of the group or the clarvoyent one. I'm sure everything will be fine. You're just a worry wart," he said.

"Aye. The kid is tougher than he looks. They both are. You don't survive two hunter attacks without knowing how to handle yourself. Heck, you don't get attacked by hunters twice and get to live to tell the tale," said Allistair. Francis landed next to Arthur. "Oui. Alfred needed space. Smothering him is just going to make him angry Arthur," he said.

Matthew nodded. "The villagers treated us like little kids even though we were twice their age. It drove Alfred crazy. He would either storm off or isolate himself and sulk," he said. Reiley raised an eyebrow. "What about you?" he asked. Matthew shrugged. "Usually Alfred was vocal enough for the two of us. It annoyed me but not as much as it did him. He doesn't like feeling caged in any way," he said.

 **So an Albino and an American with a Superhero Complex walk into a bar an hour later…**

Gilbert grinned at Alfred. "So you and your brother and I are good now?" he asked. Alfred nodded, grinning back at him. "You seem cool and Mattie's not one to hold a grudge. Besides, it's nothing he hadn't heard before from the villagers," he said. Gilbert blinked. "You lived among humans?" he asked.

Alfred nodded and Gil's eyes widened. "What was that like? What were they like?" he asked. Alfred shrugged. "Like you and me except they can't fly. I mean some of them were jerks but there were a lot of good people. Like the ones who took Mattie and I in. They treated us like we were their own kids," he said.

"What were the ones who took you in like?" asked Gilbert. Alfred's face looked sad, lost in memories. "It was an elderly couple who took us in. They hid us from the hunters and kept my wings a secret while they could. Their kids took us after, warming up to us once they realzied what had happened. Each generation has taken turns looking after us," he said.

Gilbert smiled. "Did the village find out about your wings?" he asked. Alfred smirked. "Yeah...I kinda was a showboat...One of the kids was making fun of Mattie and I for being 'abandoned' and not knowing our real parents. When we were climbing trees, he pushed me out of the branches. He wasn't expecting me to whip my wings out and fly above him before shoving him out," said Alfred.

Gilbert grinned. "Good. Sounds like the jerk needed it. That was an awesome idea. We should be at Mathias's place in a few minutes. Good thing because Gilbert needs to rest," he said, gesturing to the yellow fluff ball sitting in between his wings. The poor little thing needed to be carried five minutes into their flight. "He's tired from running messages," said Gilbert defensively when Al had given him a smirk.

About fifteen minutes later the landed at the edge of the Nordic's stone formation. There was a black blur and suddenly Alfred found himself hug-tackled by a Danish man near tears. "You're alright! When you didn't return we got worried. It was even worse when Pierre told Mr. Puffin that you got shot down by hunters! Tino was ready to go hunt them down but Waldy kept him from doing anything," he rambled, squeezing Alfred.

Alfred chuckled. "Dude I'm fine. I was a little banged up but I'm fine. Just be careful with my right wing okay? It still gets a bit sore every now and then," he said. Gilbert snorted. "Matthias get up before he gets hurt and we have to hear it from the Brit," he said. Mathias rolled his eyes and got up, helping Alfred up.

"Actually, about the hunter that shot me down, that's kinda why we're here," said Alfed, brushing himself off. Mathias raised an eyebrow. "I'm sure the others would want to hear this. C'mon in," he said. Alfred nodded and followed him into the entryway, Gilbert right behind him. Norway was reading a book in a corner, Tino and Berwald were cooking, and Emil was writing stuff down on paper and handing it to a small army of puffins (the closest thing to texting he has.)

They all looked up when Matthias came in. "Guys, look who's come back?" he called. Tino blinked before giving Alfred a bear hug. "We were so worried about you. Where's your brother? Is he okay? Are you okay?" he asked. Berwald picked up Tino and moved him to the side. "His wing's been hurt," he mumbled.

Tino tilted his head, eyes widening when he saw the scar. "Oh my….Is your brother okay?" he asked. Alfred nodded and grinned. "Got him into a tree before they could grab him. He got a broken wrist though becasue he fell out of said tree five minutes later," he said. Emil snorted and Lukas smirked. "So what brings you here?" asked Tino.

"We're going on a witch hunt," said Gilbert. Lukas raised an eyebrow. "Let me rephrase that, we're hunting down some unawesome hunters," he said. "Are you two crazy? Or just stupid?" asked Emil, setting down a quill. "It's for a spell. We think we might have found a way to get Mattie his wings back," said Alfred.

Lukas sat down and gestured that they should as well. "Tell me about this spell," he said. "It was able to help us track down his wings. That's the first part. But we only have a week to actually get the wings and reattach him before he starts to get sick. After that, we lose every known chance of getting them," said Alfred.

"But why do you need to find the hunter who shot you down?" asked Tino. "We need to find out if it is that Russian, Ivan. The one who went crazy. Becasue if it is, he'll know all our tricks. Plus there might be something on the body of the hunter that Arthur killed, if it isn't Ivan, that might help us figure out what he's up to," said Gilbert.

Mathias jumped up. "I'll go. If we hurry up fast enough, we can be back by dinner," he said. Emil stood up too before being pulled back to his chair by his brother. "No. You're too young," said Lukas to a scowling Icelandic teenager. "Whatever," said Emil, sitting back down to continue his messaging.

Tino nodded. "Be careful alright? Are you sure you don't want me to come along too?" he asked. Mathias hefted a battle axe from the wall, swinging it expertly. "Nah. I have my axe and Gilbert has his sword. They may be a bit old but they'll do the job," he said. Gilbert glanced over to Alfred.

"Do you need any weapons? Or are you more of a hand to hand fighter?" he asked. Alfred blinked. Lukas raised an eyebrow. "Gilbert, he probably left before Arthur or Francis had a chance to teach him how to fight or use weapons," said Lukas. Alfred scowled. "I can fight plenty well...Just not when shot out of the sky and after landing and breaking a wing. I've gone up against plenty of jerk humans," he said.

"Humans aren't as resiliant as us kid," said Mathias happily, before asking, "Hey Gil, which weapon do you think would be the most fitting?" Gilbert looked Alfred over. "He looks like he'd be good with the cross bow. Something he could use to hit someone from a distance but still have on him in case he has to punch someone," he said.

"Huh, I saw him more as a club person," said Mathias, digging through a closet filled with an assortment of dusty weapons. "We don't really use these that often so you can go ahead and keep them. Here ya go. These both should be in working order. Here's a knife to hide in your boot in case of anything," said Mathais, handing him several different weapons.

Alfred nodded, quickly strapping the various weapons onto his person. "Stick close to the awesome me okay? I'm used to fighting with other people. Mathias...has a tendency to forget you're with him before rushing into the heat of things," said Gilbert. Emil smirked. "Fighting has a tendency to make us go into Viking mode," he said. Lukas also smirked. "That and Mathias is an idiot."

Alfred rolled his eyes. "I'll be fine. I've got good aim and a wicked right hook. I'll be fine. Let's get going before it starts getting dark out," he said. Tino nodded. "You two can stay the night. Mathias, try to have them back for dinner. I don't want their food to get cold," he said. Mathias grinned and nodded, sling the axe into a strap on his back. "Will do. We'll be back in an hour, no worries," he said. With that, he led them to the ledge, jumped off, and the trio flew into the forest.

Alfred frowned when he scoured the forest below. "I don't see anything, do you guys?" he asked. They both shook their heads. "Are you sure this is the right direction Alfred? Gilbird is getting tired," said Gilbert. Mathias snorted. "It's been ten minutes. You should have gotten a word with bigger wings and a less puffy body," he said.

"You did not just call Gilbird fat did you? Because that would be an unawesome jerk thing to do," muttered Gilbert, watching as Gilbird flew off his back over to Mathias, bit him, and flew back onto Gil's back. Gilbert smiled, taking the fluffy chirping Gilbird off of his back and cupping it in his hands. "That hurt!" said Mathias, rubbing his cheek where he had been bit.

"Dudes, I see the clearing. It's behind that tree there," said Alfred, pointing the clearing out. The two older avians stopped their bickering, turning to look at the clearing. "Mathias, Alfred and I will go first. You cover us, alright?" said Gilbert. Mathias nodded, dropping back in their formation.

Gilbert nodded and took the lead. Alfred kept a hand on his crossbow, feeling some of the hairs at the back of his neck raise. He can see why Arthur was so against him going back to the clearing. Every fiber of his being was screaming against being here. He quickly took a deep breath and worked on keeping his mind and emotions cut off from any of his flock that might be eavesdropping before following Gilbert's downward angle.

Gilbert scanned the area before letting himself drop to a landing. He gave Alfred the signal that he deemed it clear to land. The younger boy landed behind him, sharp blue eyes sweeping across the clearing. "The body's missing," said Alfred. Mathias landed behind the American. "Are you sure?"

Alfred gestured to the empty clearning. "Do you see a fly ridden body laying around? The jerks's still alive," he said. Gilbert nodded, glancing around with a calculating look in his eyes. "Search the clearing. See if you find anything that doesn't belong. Maybe we can find some blood or something to track him by. It could be he dragged his body out of the clearing and died somewhere else," he said.

Alfred and Mathias nodded, spreading out to search the clearing better. Alfred avoided the spot where he had crash landed, looking over the clearing's edge for any clues as to what happened to the hunter. He froze when he saw droplets of blood at the base of tree. "Guys, I got blood over here," he called out.

Mathias looked over from Alfred's crash site. "I found feathers...but I'm thinking they're probably yours. You really did hit the ground hard. The's an actual indent in the ground," he said. Alfred rolled his eyes as Gilbert walked over. "There's foot prints headed in that direction too. I'm guessing that it's our hunter, considering they lead from that pool of blood over there," he said.

Alfred nodded and Mathias grinned. "Then why are we standing around? The sooner we go the sooner we can kick back a couple of pints at the nest," he said. Alfred grinned back and the three started walking, following the foot steps.

 **Two's company, Five's a crowd**

"For the last time Reiley, if you wanted to drink so badly, you should have brought your own stash. You're not having any of my rum or gin," grumbled Arthur, ignoring his older brother's puppy dog eyes. "A good host would share," the Irish man pouted. "Every true gentleman knows that Albion," grinned Allistair tauntingly.

"You're always welcomed to some of my wine," said Francis happily. "It doesn't have the same kick," grumbled Reiley, glaring at Arthur. Matthew frowned. "I still think one of us should have gone with Alfred and Gilbert," he said. "I agree. Alfred's too young to be flying around on his own. Last time he flown, he had to have Francis and I carry him. That, and Gilbert's not the best rolemodel," said Arthur.

"Don't worry mon ami. We healed Alfred. His back won't bother him a bit. If it did, we'd be feeling it, or at least Matieu would. And Gil is a good man. He may be a bit obnoxious when he wants to be, but he'll keep a good eye on the boy and watch his back. You got to remember, he did raise Ludwig on his own and look how well that young man turned out. Alfred is in good hands," said Franis, sipping wine.

"Shouldn't we start to try to figure out how we're going to get into that cabin?" reminded Matthew. Allistair nodded. "Aye lad," he said, getting up and walking over to the circle. He crouched down, Rhys walking over to him and doing the same. "I can already tell you that there are some trip wires in this area," said Allistair.

Francis jumped up and quickly made a sketch of the house in the dirt and marked where the trip wires are. Arthur raised and eyebrow. "So we know where all the traps are, non?" responded Francis with a shrug. "Good thinking mate. I can spot a few weights hanging in the trees by the trip wires," said Arthur.

"What's that?" said Matthew suddenly, pointing at what seemed to be an empty sky. "What's what lad?" asked Reiley. "Is there any way you can, I don't know, make that part easier to see?" asked Matthew. Rhys nodded and muttered something under his breath. The circle zoomed in revealing a thin netting above the cabin.

"Good catch Mathieu. We wouldn't have noticed it until it was too late….How are we going to get in then?" said Francis, adding the net to his sketch. "We still have our magic. And Gilbert has a few swords left over. I'm sure we can find some way through," said Reiley, bending down the inspect the netting over the cabin.

"What other traps can you see?" asked Matthew. Reiley shrugged. "There is a gap in the net, presumably where they come in and out. That'd have the most traps though," he said. Matthew looked over the house. "I guess going in through the top of the net would be your best option," he said. Arthur nodded.

"Speaking of which, who all is going to the cabin? Someone should be here to watch over Matthew in case he starts getting sick," said Rhys. Francis frowned. He had been hoping to go with to finally face the man that took their boys from them, but if he had to stay behind to watch Mathieu it was the least he could do.

"We can have Alfred stay. It'd be safer to keep him out of the way. Perhaps Gilbert would be willing to look over them as well," he said. Matthew bit his lip. "Alfred won't like being put on the sidelines. He'd try to backtrack and follow you," he said. Arthur gave him a reassuring smile.

"We'll just tell him that we need him to come and burst in in case anything happens to us. Plus, he'll want to make sure you're okay. If Gil stays, I'm sure he wouldn't mind staying behind," said Arthur. "Plus we could always change the barriers to keep him in unless we really need his help, which we hopefully won't," said Allistair.

Matthew smiled. "Okay… That sounds like it should work. How much longer do you think it will be before they get back?" he asked. Francis shrugged. "Knowing the Nordics, Tino won't let them leave until they had something to eat first. Knowing Gil and Mathias, they'll wait until morning, maybe noon, to leave because they decided to have a few drinks first," said Francis.

Arthur frowned. "I hope Alfred has good enough sense not to have any himself. He's too young," he said. Allistair smirked. "He's old enough. You started drinking around his age, maybe easier. Who knows? I was a bit soused whenever you did start. I'm sure he hasn't inherited your inability to hold his own," he said.

Arthur scowled at that. "I'll have you know-" Matthew tuned them out, looking over the cabin. For some reason...he felt like this was too easy. All there was was a net and some boobie traps? He looked at the cabin once more and frowned. "Guys...There's some sandpits and other traps along here," he said, pointing them out.

The others stood to attention, quickly glancing at the image. "I wonder what else we're missing," said Rhys, frowning. Arthur nodded and quickly looked over the circle. "You guys see what you can find with your bare eyes….I'm going to look to see if there's a spell that could reveal any dangers we may encounter there," he said. Everyone nodded and he flew back into the cave.

 **Alfie, Gilbert, and Mathias together. That sounds like the beginning of a bad joke.**

Gil frowned as they continued following the droplets. "Am I the only one who thinks there's something off about these droplets? There should be smeers, not just splatters. Arthur shot the guy in the head...Even our kind sees that as a pretty bad blow. He should have been dragging himself away from the clearing," said Gilbert.

Mathias shook his head. "Ivan was a strong guy, remember? He once let himself sky dive because he though the snow would soften his blow. Came out of it only with a broken leg. Then again, the guy was strange. I think he was slight crazed before he lost his wings. Anyone who would _want_ to live up in those icy mountains," he said.

Alfred opened his mouth before a platinum blonde streak rushed out of the forest and knocked over Mathias. Gilbert quickly shoved it off, revealing a man with a scared forehead, a smile, and a long nose. Alfred quickly grabbed his cross bow but tripped when Mathias accidentally grabbed his leg in his search for his sword.

Gilbert roared as he rushed the man, who immediately dodged and grabbed one of his wings in a stone-crushing grip. Gilbert screamed, dropping his sword. Ivan happily hit Gilbert in the face with a knee. Alfred managed to get up and shot a bolt from the crossbow into the arm breaking Gil's wing. Ivan frowned and let go of the wing, jumping back to avoid another bolt headed his way. "IVAN YOU SON OF A-" howled Gil before Mathais jumped in, swing at Ivan with the axe.

Gilbert reached for his sword before finding his hand crushed by Ivan as he backed up to avoid Mathias. Ivan blinked before smiling and grinding his foot into Gilbert's hand. Gilbert let out a scream. Ivan dodged a few swings from Mathias and shots from Alfred before grabbing the axe and throwing Mathais against a tree. He turned to Alfred with a smile.

Alfred growled and threw the crossbow to the side before trying to slug Ivan in the face. He made contact before a hand roughly grabbed his arm and bent it. Alfred heard a sickening snap and felt tears come to his eyes. He clawed at Ivan's face before the broken arm was twisted and he was forced onto his knees. Hands quickly tied him up, ignoring how Alfred cried out when his broken arm was forced behind his back.

Mathias groaned, jumping up and running over to them, axe in hand. Ivan held a knife up to Alfred's throat and put pressure on his broken arm. "You move he dies. If you follow me, I drop him. His wings aren't exactly usable like this, da? He'll come back to you once I have my wings back," he said.

 **So enough with the fluff. I think I'm** **going to go back to messing with the characters. The next few chapters are going to be a doozie. Thanks so much fluff nights for your sweet review. Also, I would like to know how pairings would be taken. They won't be anything heavy handed or overemphasized, but enough to kind freshening things up.**


	17. Chapter 17: Ties that Bound

**CLIFF HANGER, HANGING ON CLIFF...AND THAT'S WHY HE'S CALLED CLIFF HANGER!**

Matthew was looking over the image in the circle before a jolt of pain went through his arm. Being on his hands and knees to get a better view of a trap, he yelped and suddenly fell on his face in surprise, glasses sliding off said face. Allistair helped him up. "Are you alright there laddy?" he asked, concerned.

Mattie rubbed his arm. "A-Alfred's in trouble. He broke his arm. We need to find him!" said Matthew, searching for his glasses. Reiley picked up the glasses and handed them to the Canadian. "Matthew, I'm sure Gilbert and Mathias have his back. He's not the most experienced fighter compared to the rest of us. I'm sure he tripped over something and hurt himself and the other two are dusting him off as we speak," said Rhys.

Francis bit his lip. "Gilbert is injured as well...broken wing and hand," he said. "How do you know that?" asked Reiley, raising an eyebrow. "Antonio, Gilbert, and I have bonded ourselves together. We've been close friends since childhood," he said. Rhys frowned. " _Arthur...there may be something wrong. Allistair and Francis are going to go out and investigate it,"_ he said to his brother.

Rhys immediately felt annoyance through the bond before being replaced with panic, fear, and anger. " _What the bloody hell do you think is wrong? Is it with Alfred?"_ asked Arthur, suddenly racing out of the cave out to the other avians. Burning fury was in his emerald irises. "We don't know. Matthew felt his arm break and Francis thinks Gilbert just got one hell of a beating," said Allistair.

Arthur frowned. "I don't feel anything coming from Alfred...Nothing. No thoughts or emotions….Not even when I reach out for him," he said, worry starting to color his voice. "Maybe he and Alfred got in a fight?" weakly suggested Reiley. Francis frowned. "Non...I felt fear coming from Gilbert before he got a blow to the head…If it was Alfred he were fighting, he'd be more annoyed and it'd be more of a play fight than a real one," he said.

"Do you feel anything coming from Alfred?" asked Arthur, grabbing Francis's arm. Francis concentrated before opening panicked eyes and shaking his head. "N-Non...j-just like last time…" he said. Arthur swore. "I-I still feel him...He's not dead if that's what you're worried about," stuttered Matthew quietly.

Everyone turned to look at him. "You still feel him? Can you talk to him? Are you getting any sense from him of what might be going on?" said Arthur in a rush, quickly droppping Francis's arm and going to Matthew. Matthew nodded. "K-Kinda...It's really hard to do it, I need a lot of concentration, but I can do it….Something's trying to block me," he said.

Arthur frowned. "Nothing breaks or blocks a bond easily except death….This is a show of quite a force of magic," he said. Allistair nodded, red brows knitted together. "Aye...Very few people can do it and of those that can...they wouldn't see any reason to waste so much energy trying to do it. That, and most of them are already present and the other two are friends," he said.

"Is there any chance that Ivan is a magic user as well?" asked Matthew. Arthur swore, starting to march into the house. "Who bloody cares? Right now, we need to rescue them before it's too late," he said. Rhys wrinkled his nose. "By the time we get there, they'd be long gone. I'm going to call the Nordics," he said, spreading his hands. He concentrated and an orb appeared.

Lukas appeared in the orb, eyebrow raised. "So you two felt a disturbance as well I assume," he said. Rhys nodded, furrowing his brows. "Aye...Something's wrong with both Alfred and Gilbert. It sounds like Gilbert is hurt bad," he said. "We're already flying to the clearing. We'll be there any minute," he said. Rhys nodded. "Contact us when you get there," he said.

Lukas shook his head, frowning at something in the distance. "We're here….but they aren't. Tino had gone ahead of us to scout, but he isn't here either. But then again, he's good at hiding. Give me a minute," he mused. The orb flickered and showed the clearing where Arthur found Alfred. There were some feathers, a pool of blood, and droplets leading between a few trees.

Arthur clenched his fists. "Those are from where I fought the hunter the first time...though the blood trail is new," said Arthur. "They must have followed it and have gotten jumped," said Matthew quietly, starting to feel sick. All this stupid fuss over his wings may have led to his twin's demise. "Careful when you follow it, but hurry," said the quiet Canadian.

Lukas nodded and nodded to Emil and Berwald, both of whom were armed. Emil had a spear and Berwald had a sword. Lukas waved his hand and made it so the orb on his end was now floating above him so he could fight in case they got ambushed as well. They made it to another, but smaller, clearing where they saw a broken tree and footprints in the ground that indicated a fight, but nothing else.

Lukas waved a hand and a light flashed through the clearing. "There's no one here. My magic doesn't detect even Tino here," he said, frowning. Emil looked over the tree. "Do you think that this was how Gilbert got hurt?" he said. Lukas shook his head. "Only Mathias is thick-headed enough to break a tree. That explains his concussion," he huffed.

Berwald scowled and tightened his grip on the spear. "Tino is fine...I can't detect him being hurt...only concerned," said Lukas. Emil affectionately bumped into Berwald. "I'm sure he's helping those idiots in a cave somewhere. He probably got them out of there and is mother-henning them. Alfred especially," said Emil. The corners of Berwald's mouth twitched and he nodded.

Berwald suddenly froze and narrowed his eyes. "You're right. He's with them," he said. Emil blinked. "How do you know?" he asked. "Told me with bond. They're headed to Arthur's place," he said. Arthur blinked. "That's almost an hour's flight," he said. "Then maybe they have good news. They must not be hurt too badly if they can make the flight back," said Matthew hopefully, dread sinking in his stomach like a stone.

Francis frowned. "But then why would Tino come," he said. "Someone must have been hurt to get him to leave without telling us…." said Lukas, trailing. "Are you able to follow any of their energies?" asked Allistair, pushing Arthur out of the way so he was in front of the orb now.

Lukas concentrated. "I can sense Tino, Mathias, and Gilbert's energy going in the direction of your nest...but I can't sense Alfred's. It's like he just disappeared the minute he walked over to that spot," said Lukas, pointing to where a gold/brown feather laid. "Not at all?" asked Reiley, frowning.

Lukas shook his head. "We're going to go before we attract any unwanted attention. It's no good being here anyways….there's nothing. I'll talk to you guys later," he said, cutting off the connection. Arthur frowned and Francis wringed his hands. "Perhaps we should fly down to meet Gilbert and the others…" trailed Francis.

Arthur felt his knees trying to go weak and his stomach become upset. Rhys rubbed the spot between his youngest brother's wings. "Alfred's a tough kid. I'm sure he's fine. He sure isn't going to go without a proper fight," he told Arthur. "He's not dead...I promise. He broke his arm but that's it. I-I bet he's on his way with Tino and the others," said Matthew.

They sat around the circle and tried to distract themselves for the next hour. It was agreed that the Nordics, with Lukas's magic, had been thorough when scanning the clearing and that if they weren't able to figure out what happened, it would be better to wait to see what the others had to say when they come. Afterall, as Rhys pointed out, perhaps there was a chance they were all jumping to conclussions.

About an hour later, Reiley spotted specks in the sky, growing as they got closer. He ran to get the others inside, where Allistair made Arthur and Francis sit down for some tea, and called them over. As the specks got closer, they noticed it was three men, one of which had to be carried between the other two men.

"It's just Mathias, Gilbert,and Tino...Alfred isn't with him," said Allistair, frowning. As the trio came forward, it was obvious that at least two of them had been in a nasty fight. Gilbert's wing was crumpled and limply hanging from his back, in a splint that had been hastily put on. "W-Where's Alfred? What happened?" demanded Arthur, running over to them the minute they landed on the edge of the ledge.

"Es tut mir Leid (I'm so sorry)...T-They took him..Ivan has him," choked out Gilbert. "What?" asked Arthur, his face falling and his eyes filling with horror. Francis took and angry step forward. "Don't blame Gilbert. He was badly hurt...Ivan got the jump on both of us. Alfred fought a good fight...but Ivan's a dirty cheat," said Matthias, blinking back tears.

"They both insisted on coming here and telling you immediately. I had to twist their arm to convince them to let me put a splint on Gilbert's wing," said Tino. Francis swallowed and helped Gilbert and Mathias over to the rocks. "I thought you said you would look after him!" shouted Arthur, shaking from anger.

'"We tried...He outsmarted us. I-I should have put two and two together….I'm so sorry Arthur," said Gilbert, swallowing as Francis quickly busied himself with healing his wing, in hopes of distracting himself from an overwhelming need to burst into tears. "Arthur...We'll get Alfred back...H-He's still alive. He'll find a way to survive or cause Ivan trouble," stuttered Matthew, putting a hand on Arthur's shoulder.

Arthur shrugged the hand off and turned on the Canadian angrily. "Allow me to make this clear to you. Your brother has been captured by the hunter that shot him out of the sky simply because he had wings. In fact, he may be captive of the very monsters that tried to take both of your wings and lives that night so many decades ago. There's no telling what they'll do to him. Ivan was a horrible, despicable man who enjoyed hurting people. Who knows what kind of hell he will be forced to endure before they probably try to tell him," he snapped.

"Arthur!" snapped Francis, "Don't tell him that." He walked over to Matthew and crushed the boy to his chest, trying to hold back tears. Arthur had tears streaming down his face and was furiously trying to wipe them away. "I-I'm sorry Matthew...I lost my temper," he managed to choke out. Allistair sighed and draped a brotherly arm around Arthur's shoulders.

"We'll find him Artie. We ain't going to lose him twice," he said. Gilbert nodded from where Mathias was straightening the wing out and putting it in a proper splint. "The kid is a fighter for sure. He would've kicked Ivan's butt with a bit more training and if he didn't have to worry about tripping over Mathias and I. He got in a few good hits I'm sure Ivan will be feeling in the morning," he said.

Mathias nodded and grinned. "He's the reason why Gilbert isn't losing the hurt wing. Alfred shot Ivan in the arm with a crossbow before he could sever anything," he said. Gilbert smiled tiredly. "Good thing. I don't think Ludwig would enjoy having to carry me around and Sylvia would have a heart attack if she saw me come back missing a wing...especially since she told me specifically not to lose any limbs during my trip here," he said.

Matthew pulled himself away from Francis so he could try to recompose himself. "T-That does sound like Alfie...He's a good fighter he just went a little easy on the villagers because he was stronger than them...I just wonder what's happening to him…." he trailed, wiping his eyes.

 **What's Happening to Alfred**

Alfred woke up to the sound of something dripping nearby and the feeling of someone trying to stare holes into his back. He resisted the urge to groan. Maybe if he played dead a little longer he could figure out a way to get out of wherever they were keeping him before they even realized he was awake. Heck, maybe they'll think he's dead or sick or something and try to move him.

Alfred tried to keep his breathing even as he mentally assessed any injuries he might have had. His wrist was throbbing...that had to be broken. A twisted ankle. He could feel some bruises on his face and legs...nothing major. He could still feeling his wings, which was a huge relief. There was, however, a foreign weight hanging around his neck.

Alfred frowned. It felt like a necklace...but also not a necklace… Something about it was off. He could feel a pendant stuck under his shirt. It was strange, but he could feel it pulsating somehow. Alfred waited a few seconds, still feeling eyes on him, before he slowly snuck a hand over to the pendant.

It was circular in shape with another circle impresed into the middle. He gently tugged at it, wanting to put his fingers around it to get a better idea of what it might look like. It didn't budge. Alfred wedged his fingernails around the edge and pulled harder, surprised when it sent a flash of pain through him. The pendant was stuck to his chest..or worst, imbedded into it.

"Don't try to pry it out. You'll only make yourself a mess and I would be the one stuck with cleaning up," muttered a girl in a gruff accent. Alfred frozed and heard the girl huffed. "I know you're awake. You don't need to pretend anymore. I saw you try to take the necklace off. That, and you talk in your sleep," she said.

Alfred scowled. He thought that was something Mattie made up to embarass him in front of the village girls. _Well, I guess the gig is up. Might as well figure out who is keeping me hostage and what the heck they want with me._ With that thought, Alfred slowly sat himself up, careful not to put any weight on his wrist and to be careful as to which way he moved his foot.

He found himself in a makeshift prison cell that looked as if it used to be a storage area for a pantry before the wooden door was replaced with one made of iron bars. There goes using his brute strength to break down the door. Sure, he could probably bend the bars but his wrist wasn't going to appreciate the effort. Which might be a good thing. He could feel the pressure of being underground on his feathers. Who knew if he'd been caught before getting upstairs to a window.

Alfred turned his attention to the girl who was sitting on the other side of the bars with a bored expression on her face. She had platinum blonde hair, blue eyes, and was wearing a blue dress with a white bow adorning her hair. Alfred would have been up to flirting with her if she wasn't scowling at him. That, and the fact that she was probably the one keeping him hostage.

"What do you want with me?" he asked, scowling at her. The girl's scowl deepened. "If it were up to me, you wouldn't be here and I would be anywhere else but here," she said. "What does that mean?" asked Alfred. The girl ignored him and grabbed his arm, making him wince. She pulled him over to the bars and in his surprise, he let her.

"May I have permission to heal you?" she asked. Alfred blinked before glaring at her. "What do you mean?" he asked. The girl gave him a blank stare. "I need to created a bond in order to heal you and that requires mea sking permission first," she said as if the answer was obvious.

"How? You're not even a bird-person anyways!" said Alfred, starting to try to pry the arm out of her surprisingly good grip. At that the girl's eyes looked amused despite the ever-present frown on her lips. She backed up so that the doorframe wasn't blocking his view of her back. Black and blue wings were folded neatly behind her.

Alfred blinked. He was sure not expecting that. "You're an avian?! Why the heck are you keeping me down here? Are you trapped too?" he asked. The girl tucked her wings back into place and sat back down. "Yes I'm an avian. I'm keeping you down here because I have to. And mostly trapped," she said, not elaborating.

Alfred raised an eyebrow. "That doesn't answer any of my questions. Why do you have to keep me down here? How is anyone 'mostly' trapped? Are you going to answer any of my questions?" he asked. "No," she said plainly. Alfred scowled. "Then, um, no. You can't heal me. Not to be rude or anything, but I don't really want to have my kidnapper reading my mind or being in my mind or anywhere near my mind. Stay out of my mind," he said.

The girl snorted. "Trust me. I wouldn't want to be anywhere near the crumb you call a brain. I only figured that being jailed without injuries would be more appealing than sitting in a cell with a broken wrist and hurt ankle. I won't bother myself with you anymore. Let me know if you need food or drink," she said, getting up. Alfred blinked. "That's it? You're not telling me anything else?!" he asked.

"No," she said, walking away.

 **So you probably want to know what went down. *Sighs* Gil take it away**

Francis wiped the sweat off his forehead as he and Mathias worked to heal Gilbert's wing and hand. Mathias's injuries weren't so bad, just a hurt back and a concussion. Both Tino and Mathais insisted that Gilbert was looked at first while he explained what happened. Mathias was working on healing his wrist, since he was still sore. Francis, who was not all banged up, worked on the wing.

"What happened? How did he just manage to grab Alfred?" asked Arthur, pacing back and forth in the dirt. Matthew was exhausted just watching him. Was this how he was the first time he disappeared? " _Nae. I wish he was more like this. He was a lot more depressed and panicky when he lost the two of you the first time,"_ said Reiley.

Mattie looked up at his brother. " _How'd you know…?"_ Reiley grinned. " _Had the question written on your face lad. No, he was worse the first time but I'm not sure how long this side of him lasts before he gets all mopey. Don't worry about it. The Kirkland brothers know how to handle the youngest one of us,"_ he said back.

Gilbert winced as Francis shifted his hand. "Easy there! Well, he had Alfred with a knife at his throat and told us that if we followed or even moved, he'd kill him then and there. I wasn't in any shape to jump him or try to do a surprise attack. With my wing I might not have been fast enough to shove Alfred out of the way so Mathias could attack him," he said.

Mathias nodded. "And to be honest, I was still dazed from hitting that tree so that it would have taken me a second or two to realize what Gilbert was planning," he said. "If you two moved, you could have risked him accidentally cutting Alfred," said Allistair. Tino nodded. "They were in no shape to follow him anyways...With their injuries, they might have put him in more danger," he said.

"When did you come in?" asked Rhys, keeping a weary eye on his youngest brother, not sure if he was going to explode into flames or tears. "A minute after Ivan left. He convinced us that we needed medical attention and back up if we wanted to rescue Alfred without putting him in danger or getting anyone injured...or more injured," said Gilbert.

"Then what happened?" demanded Arthur, pausing for half a second during his pacing. "After Ivan threated Alfred, shot me with the cross bow to pin my sleeve to a tree before dragging Alfred away. A few seconds later, Tino showed up," said Mathais. Tino swallowed. "I should have followed them. Maybe with my sharp shooting I would have been able to give Alfred a chance to get away," he said.

Gilbert tiredly shook his head. "Nein, that wouldn't have worked. He had a crossbow too and Alfred was knocked after Ivan put a necklace on him," he said. Arthur blinked. "A necklace you say? What do you bloody mean by that?" he asked. Before they could answer, someone shouted Gil's name.

Before he could turn to see who it was, Gilbert was tackled. "She wanted me to swing by and pick her up. What happened amigo? You look like you forgot how to fly again and fell off a cliff," said Tonio. Gilbert looked down to find Sylvia, his Monacon mate, squeezing him half to death. "I thought I told you not to lose any limbs," she muttered.

The Prussian man smirked. Francis paused from his healing. "Tonio, what are you doing here?" he asked. "I could feel his wing break all the way from my mountain. I knew he was coming here to reconcile with you and the boys. I didn't think Arthur would have gotten so mad that he would go into la moda pirata to try to rip his wing off," he said.

"I didn't rip his wing off!" said Arthur, pausing from trench his pacing was starting to created. "He was close but it turns out we owe Gilbert and Mathias a beer," said Alistair. "Will his wing be alright?" asked Sylvia. "Ja, I'm always fine. I've had worse breaks. Francis already has it feeling a lot less sore," he said.

She glanced around and spotted Matthew and the giant magic circle. Sylvia gave her older brother a frown. "Francis, who is this and...what exactly is that thing over there?" she asked. Francis sighed. "We found your older brothers and Arthur did a spell to find out how to reattach one of their wings. Unfortunately, one of the twins was captured by hunters when scouting the area where the wings are being kept," he said.

Both her and Tonio's eyes bugged. "Francis, you just got them back! How did you manage to lose one of them again?" asked Tonio. Reiley snickered. "What? He's got you there," he retorted when Arthur sent him a look meant to kill. Sylvia sighed. "Francis, I'll finish healing his wing up...or doing what I can today," she said. "Merci," said Francis, moving so she could take his place.

Arthur ran a hand through his hair. "What do we do now? Not only do we have to worry about getting Alfred back, but they must know now that we're after the wings," he said. "N-Not necessarily….All they can guess about is that Alfred and the others were coming back to make sure the hunter was dead...They might not know anything about our plan for the wings," said Matthew.

Francis frowned. "I don't know...They're bound to question him," he said. Matthew scowled slightly. "Alfred wouldn't rat us out. He won't tell anyone anything. I know that. If they start hurting him, he'll just make up stuff because even if he's an idiot sometimes, he's good at talking his way out of things. Alfred is going to be alright," he said, raising his voice, nails digging into the palms of his hands.

Tonio sighed and looked up at the sky. "Arguing about it now won't help us amigos. We should get some rest and try to think this over in the morning. Sylvia, need help with Gilbert? It looks like he fell asleep on you chica," he said. With that, everyone got up and started heading to bed.

When Matthew made it to his room, he was surprised to hear someone knock at his door. They couldn't let him sulk for five minutes? He had just threw his twin brother to the wolves without even thinking of the consequences. What if Alfred was dead? What if he was hurt? What if they try to kill him?

"Mathieu...It's Francis. Are you alright?" came the french accented voice. "O-Oui," he lied, getting into bed and burrowing under the covers. "I know you're lying," sang the Frenchman. Matthew sighed. "Can I sulk for five minutes? Please?" he asked. Francis came into the room as response.

He sat at the edge of Matthew's bed and carded his hands through the Canadian's hair. "Mon chou, none of this is your fault. Your brother and the others knew the risk of looking for the hunter. We couldn't have predicted it happening and even if we could, Alfred would probably still have done it," said Francis softly.

Matthew balled up his fists. "Non, that's exactly why it's my fault. I'm the one who's supposed to keep Alfred from doing anything stupid, especially something that could get him hurt. I should have just said that I was okay with not having wings, w-which I am. I shouldn't have been so stupid," muttered Mattie.

Francis frowned. "You aren't stupid Mathieu. And besides," he chuckled a little, "Knowing your brother, he'd see straight through anything you tell him and come up with a half-baked plan to get your wings on his own. If anything, this is safer than any alternatives. At least we still have the chance to get him back," said Francis.

Matthew curled up next to Francis, hugging the stuffed bear toy that somehow managed to survive despite the decades. "B-But he might be hurt. They could torture him or kill him or threaten him or something and it'll be all my fault," he choked out. Francis tried to smoothen the Canadian's hair.

"Tell me, do you still feel him right now, at this moment?" he asked. "O-Oui...but-" Francis smiled. "And do you feel any pain besides the broken arm?" asked Francis, before the boy could protest any further. "N-Non...but" The frenchman shook his head. "Non, no buts. Then he's still alive and he hasn't been hurt than the minor injuries he got from the fight. Your brother is fine. He is healthy and alive," said Francis.

Matthew swallowed. "H-He's still being held hostage by hunters…." he said reluctantly. Francis rolled his eyes. "We'll get your brother. I bet after a few days, they'll be begging us to take him back. I promise we'll bring him back Matthew. We don't want to lose him any more than you do," said Arthur, entering the room.

Francis gave Matthew a smile. "See? The wizard boy agrees with me. Now get to sleep. We'll have a lot to do in the morning and I'm sure Sylvia would like to get to know you better. And from what Tonio says, other avians might want to come and help us if we need more people for any plans," he said. Matthew nodded before hugging Francis and laying back down.

Francis carefully closed the door behind him and sagged against it. "The poor lad shouldn't beat himself up over something that isn't his fault," muttered Arthur. Francis raised an eyebrow. "Well isn't that the pot calling the kettle black. Are the rest of them settled in?" he asked. Arthur sighed and nodded.

"Reiley and Allistair are sharing a room and Rhys is going to be bunking with me. We tried to get Mathias to take one of the beds but he insisted on the couch. Said that there's no point in him taking up any extra space. Tino and the others said they were alright sleeping out on the veranda. Sylvia and Gil are in her old room. Tino's still up. I hope you don't mind, but I said he could use Pierre to tell the other Nordics what happened," he said.

Francis waved the question away. "That's perfectly fine. I suspect Berwald is very worried about him. Besides, he did us a great favor today and told me that he wants to stick around to help us get Alfred back. Isn't it wonderful how much our friends are willing to help us?" he asked.

Arthur huffed. "Yes well I wished they didn't take up so much space….Though I do appreciate their help," he said. Francis smiled. "Let's hit the hay and get some rest. I'm sure we can figure out a plan once we've had some sleep," he said.

 **What? You really** **thought** **I'd send Alfie in and he wouldn't get hurt or captured? I mean, it is the Awesome Trio that was being sent in. Something was bound to get goofed. Anyways, until next time!**


	18. Chapter 18: And So The Plot Thickens

**Alfred, the newest addition to the Russian freak show**

Alfred sat up and kept trying to pry the pendant off of him. It seemed glued to him, almost embedded in his chest. It actually hurt him to pull the pendant off, which would glow and burn every time he tried to pry it away. Alfred groaned in both exhaustion and and frustration. "What the hell is this thing? Can you at least tell me that?" he shouted, not sure where the girl went.

There were a flash of blue black wings and the girl was at the door again. "Could you try to keep it down? I was trying to read," she said. Alfred glared at her. "Was I being too loud? I'm so sorry. I'll try to find another way to pass time in this stupid jail cell," he said. There was a flash of a smirk before she frowned again. "Do you really want to know what that pendant is for?" she asked.

"Considering it's practically stuck in my chest, yeah. That'd be nice to know," he said sarcastically. "It's a magic pendant that's supposed to absorb your magic," she said, crossing her arms. "Wait...What?!" he asked, feathers bristling. She sighed. "Look, I don't know how it works. I wasn't the one who made it. I'm a prisoner as much as you are," she muttered.

Alfred blinked. "What do you mean? I thought you were guarding me," he said. She shrugged. "To be honest, if you tried to get out, I wouldn't put up too much of an effort trying to stop you. I can't exactly just let you out," she said. He lifted up an eyebrow. "Then why are you exactly down here?" he asked.

The girl sat down across from him, stretching out a wing to preen it. "My brother lost his wings a few centuries ago. He was desperate for way to find them back. Living among our kind made him depressed and he brought my sister and I here to the woods. We searched for a way to get his wings back and found it to be impossible withouth having the wings with us," she said.

Alfred nodded. "Ivan's your brother?" he asked. She raised an eyebrow. "Yes. I suppose the rest of our kind have been whispering his name since he left. They think him a monster and me insane for sticking by his side. Now, can I finish the story or do I have to worry about you interrupting?" she asked. He mumbled something about a grouch but nodded.

"Good. After going to the human villages, under the guise of a human himself, Ivan found a man who claimed he could give Ivan back his ability to fly. The only catch was that Ivan bring back the wings of others to compensate for the loss of his wings and as a 'sacrifice'. Ivan was reluctant at first, trying to find ways to get around it. Then the human took our oldest sister, saying that her wings would be perfect for the spell and that mine could work as sacrifice. Ivan had no choice but to do what the man said," she said.

Alfred frowned. "So you really are stuck here too….but why do you have the entire basement to yourself? Can you go upstairs?" he asked. The girl shook her head. "Nyet. I have the basement because the human knows I wouldn't leave without my brother or sister. He has my sister locked up in a cell similar to yours down here. Since we're his only bargining chip, he allows me to take care of her and any prisoners," she said.

"...How many prisoners have there been?" asked Alfred. The girl paused in her preening, thinking. "About three. There would have been more but Ivan doesn't enjoy being forced to go after fledglings. He tends to accidentally leave them by avian nests. Though one time we had to drop a pair by a village. The other prisoners have already been de-winged as the human calls it and sent to human villages. The only reason the human keeps them alive is because he realized the wings deteriorate once they're killed," she said.

Alfred froze. "Y-You dropped a pair by a village?" he said. The girl looked at him and nodded slowly. "Yes...well I did. Ivan had to fight off a member of his flock. That was the night the human demanded that we bring him softer, fluffier wings or he'd kill Irunya. I had to hold one of them down...The ordeal was making me sick. Ivan was crying while he cut the quieter's wings off. When the older avian came, I ran off with them and tried to take off the other's wing...but couldn't do it. I dropped them by a village's farm and went back for Ivan. The wings he managed to get were enough to keep Irunya alive a little longer," she said quietly.

Alfred jumped up and grabbed the bars, making them rattle. "THAT WAS MY BROTHER'S WINGS YOU STOLE! YOU NEARLY KILLED HIM AND YOU STOLE US FROM OUR FLOCK! YOU RUINED OUR LIVES!" he shouted, wanting to reach through the bars and throttle her. The girl blinked, looking sad for a few seconds before glaring at him. "I did what I could to save my sister. We didn't have a choice. Be happy we didn't kill you and you got to keep your wings," she said.

Alfred glared at her. "That doesn't change what happened. Nothing could change what you and your brother did," he said. The girls sighed and stood up. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry. I regret doing it. I regret helping that monster. That's why he trapped me down here for. I let a pair of twins slip away. He was hoping for a matching set," she said before walking away. He could here her whisper to someone who was crying somewhere across the basement.

Alfred balled up in a corner. He wasn't sure if he pitied the girl or hated her guts. Speaking of guts, he hadn't eaten in a while and his stomach was churning from going without food for so long. Against his will, his stomach growled, echoing off the walls of his small cell. Five minutes later, a tray was slipped under the cells. Alfred didn't bother turning around to glance at the girl.

"Eat something. I promise I haven't done anything funny with the food. If you stare yourself, you'll just make it easier for the pendant to suck you dry," she said. Alfred blinked, thinking about that. "Suck me dry…" he mumbled. _It isn't magic really….It's just having more life energy than the average avian or human._ Alfred's eyes widdened and turned to the girl, who blinked, looking surprised at his reaction to her giving him food.

"Is that what he's hoping to do? Take all my magic?" asked Alfred. The girl slowly nodded. "He said he doesn't have any magic of his own to do any spells with. He wanted an avian captured so he could use the humans' brand of magic to harvest the avian kind in order to supposedly give Ivan his wings back. ...I don't think he's going to actually do it. He's kept us here for so long and hasn't shown any signs of letting us go yet," she said.

Alfred wasn't listening, he was leaning against the back wall. "That's going to kill me…" he said. The girl stopped talking and looked up at him. "What? No...Ivan wouldn't have brought you back here if it would. ...The human said you would just act as a renewable powersource," she said.

Alfred shook his head. "No...it's not really magic-magic. .It's just that I have more life energy or whatever allows avians to bond with each other than normal. Draining my magic won't just tucker me out...it'll kill me. I guess that's why my wings are still on my back," he said, muttering the last sentence bitterly.

She looked at him. "You're just making that up so I let you out…" she said. Alfred shook his head. "I wish I was...What is this stuff?" he asked, looking down at the tray of food he had been handed. "Wrapped palyandvista and milk. If you won't let me heal your wrist, at least let me set it properly so it heals correctly and hurts a bit less," she said. Alfred hesitated before thrusting his arm between the bars.

Without blinking, the girl quickly moved his wrist back in place, ignoring Alfred's choked back sob of pain. When he had his wrist back in place, he thanked her and started eating. "This is pretty good...Thanks," he said. She nodded and leaned back, watching him eat. "So um, since we're both kinda trapped down here together, mind telling me your name?" he asked.

"My name is Natalia. Natalia Arlovskaya. You are?" "Alfred. Alfred F. Jones," he said, giving her a grin. She smirked. "Like I said before, I can't just let you go...but I wouldn't be surprised if you find something in your cell or food one of these days that helps you get out," said Nat. Alfred blinked. "Wait...you'll help me get out?" he asked.

Nat shrugged. "You seem like a good guy...and I regret what I did to you and your brother. I will find a way to make it look like an accident...but I have to come up with something more creative. The human suspected me last time someone got out. It'll have to be accidental and it can't be similar to the way he got out last time," she said.

Alfred raised an eyebrow. "How did the guy get out last time?" he asked. "She was a smaller girl, spoke french. I showed her how to use one of her bobbie pins to pick the lock. Her mate came in and provided enough of a distraction for her to sneak out. The time after that, the man was skinny enough to squeeze through the bars...provided they were greased up a bit. The man after you...I got lazy and put a file in his bread. Said he must have sneaked it in," she said.

Alfred whistled. "Nice. Any ideas for me?" he asked. She shook her head. "Not yet….Do you have anything on you that might be able to help?" asked Nat. "Just my glasses and some pocket change...I knew I should have brought a screwdriver or something. And Mattie calls me paranoid," he said.

Natalia frowned and leaned back. "Do you expect anyone to come and find you? Or look for you?" she asked. Alfred sighed. "I was with two other guys when your brother ambushed us...I'm sure they'll come for me. If not, my flock will come for me too," he said before suddenly swearing. Natalia raised an eyebrow.

"What's wrong?" she asked. "If they waste time on me, Mattie will get sick and he might lose his chance of ever getting his wings back. Is there any way you can contact them to tell them not to come for me? Or better yet, have you seen his wings laying around the house? Maybe they can kill two birds with one stone...no pun intended. Okay, pun slightly intended," he said.

Natalia blinked. "W-Wait..what? You know how to reattach wings?" she said. Alfred nodded. "That was the entire reason we came out here...We wanted to make sure that the hunter that had shot me out of the air was actually dead so we knew what we were going to walk into," he said.

Natalia frowned. "So you were the one who shot my brother? You're lucky I was able to pull the bullet out and heal him before it did too much damage," she said. Alfred scowled. "Okay, one, he shot and broke my wing. Two, it was my brother, Arthur, who shot Ivan. I was a little too busy trying not to pass out at the time," Alfred shot back. Natalia sighed. "Sorry...but you know how to reattach wings?" she asked, leaning forward.

"Arthur and my brothers do...They had to cast a circle that helped us track the wings down. Mattie's are in some cabin in the middle of nowhere that's seriously bobbie trapped. We have a little less than a week to get them and perform the second part of the spell where we actually reattach them to my brother," sighed Alfred.

"What happens if you don't get it done within the week?" she asked curiously. Alfred sighed. "Everyday we wait to reattach them, he'll start getting sick and by the end of the week he might die. If at the end of the week we can't find the wings and reattach them, we'll have to cut off his bond between him and his wings. He might lose his chances of getting them back forever. The others are hoping that if it comes to that, they can find some other spell to help him get his wings back….but I have a feeling this is going to be our only chance," said Alfred.

Natalia stared at him for a few minutes, trying to figure out whether he was really telling her the truth or not. _Why would he lie if I already agreed to help him escape before he told me all of this?_ She swallowed before looking him dead in the eye. "I'll make sure you get out and get those wings. I know where they are. I help your brother, you help mine," she said.

 **INSERT CLEVER/FUNNY TRANSITION TITLE HERE**

Matthew groaned when he woke up the next morning, his stomach feeling extremely upset and sore. There was a knock on his door. He tried to see if it was Francis but he was slightly surprise that it was someone he hadn't bonded with. "Come in," he said. The door opened revealing a girl with blue eyes and braided blonde hair. Sylvia. Right. Francis had mentioned her.

She frowned when she noticed him balled up in the bed. "Are you alright Mathieu? Are you already feeling sick?" she asked him. Matthew nodded and was surprised when she sat on his bed and took felt his forehead. "You don't have a fever. That is good. Do you want me to tell the others you want to stay in bed?" she asked.

Matthew shook his head and sat up, accidentally bumping her wings. Sylvia moved her wings out of the way but not before he noticed a section of feathers missing from each wing. Matthew frowned. "I'll be fine...With Alfred gone, I don't want them worrying about me. They need to focus on finding him and getting him back," he said.

Sylvia looked at him for a few seconds. "How about this? I won't tell them that you're feeling this unwell and you keep letting me know how you feel, alright?" she said. Matthew hesitated. "They have the bond...they're probably keeping tabs on me that way," he said. She raised an eyebrow.

"And you're probably doing your best to block them from feeling how you feel physically, oui?" she said. Matthew sighed and nodded. "Then you tell me how you feel. I won't tell unless I think it's serious, promise," said Sylvia. Matthew sighed. "Alright...why do you care so much, if you don't mind me asking?" Sylvia smiled. "You're my older brother mon cher."

Matthew shyly smiled back. "R-Right...Francis mentioned another sibling," he said. Sylvia rolled her eyes. "We have several. We have an adopted sister from Seychelles. Arthur has many younger siblings, but after you two left he left them in the care of others. I'm sure you'll meet them all eventually. It's hard to get us all in one place at a time," she explained.

"...Just how many other siblings are there?" asked Matthew. Sylvia shrugged. "Five or six that I can think of off the top of my head. I'm probably missing a few. Francis and Arthur have been around for a while. Their parents are both ancients, few of the original avians that we know of. Arthur actually decended directly from an original ancient. It was Francis's grandfather that was one of the originals," she said.

"Really? How old are they?" asked Matthew. "Well Francis's grandfather Romulus was around the time the Roman Empire was started. Arthur's mother came from Britania and his father was part of one of the original Celtic tribes. There's another avian whose mother was part of Ancient Greece and another avian who claims to have been around during the time the Ottoman Empire was founded," she said.

His jaw dropped. "W-We can really live that long?" he asked. Sylvia nodded before hesitating. "As long as the lands that we come from continue to live and thrive. That connection is what's thought to give us the ability to bond with each other and withstand more pain and injury than a normal human would," she said.

"...So Alfred and I would be connected to the New World some how?" he asked. Sylvia nodded. "That's where you two were found and presumbably born. I'm tied to a tiny country off of France. Francis is connected to France and Arthur and his brothers are connected to the British Isles. None of us are really sure how this whole thing works. We're not even entirely sure if we're connected. We're just basing that off of different observations," she said.

"Like what?" asked Matthew. "Well...like how there's only one avian for every country we know of. There's a few exceptions to that, like the Italy brothers, but they once represented two different regions that got combiened into one region. Also, whenever something happens to our countries like floods and stuff, we get sick," said Sylvia.

Matthew frowned, distracted from his upset stomach as he tried to process this. "So we represent our homelands?" he asked. She shook her head. "Not quite. We're just connected to the physical land. We're not ruled by what the people on that land do...though sometimes our relationships to other avians reflect the relations between different countries. However, we're not forced to love or hate others because our people do," she said.

Matthew nodded, following along. "Alright then...Are the others awake?" he asked. "Everyone except Tino, Gil, and Matthias. They had a nasty flight yesterday, so I wouldn't be surprised if they sleep in for another hour or two," she said. Matthew nodded and slowly got up, careful not to make any movements that would make his stomach hurt even more.

The two of them walked down to the kitchen, Matthew doing his best to look like he was feeling alright. "There are my dears. How are you feeling Matthew?" asked Arthur, setting down a plate of burnt scones in front of them. Matthew tried not to puke on the spot. "Angleterre, you'll make him sick with those! No need to give him food poisoning!" said Francis, pushing away the scones and handing them crepes instead.

"Frog, quit putting ideas in his head! I'm sure Matthew would love my cooking if you stopped telling him it sucks! Even Sylvia says she appreciates my baked goods!" said Arthur. The two ascended into a fight, to Matthew's relief. He managed a couple of crepes before passing the rest to his sister. She took them and finished them and the two were able to sneak out of the kitchen without either of the older avians paying attention to it.

 **Reviews are appreciated. They let me know it's not me and my one weird friend that's reading this. Thanks to those who have!**


	19. Chapter 19: Death Sentence

They walked out to the circle outside, finding that the older Kirkland brothers were seated around it, staring at it intensely. Mathias and Gil were propped up in a corner. Tino was focusing on healing Mathias. Sylvia frowned and went over to Gil to help heal him. Allistair looked up whe he felt Matthew's presence nearby. "How you feeling lad?" he asked.

Matthew shrugged. "Fine...just worried about Alfred. Have you guys found a way to get him back?" he asked. Reiley looked up from the circle and grinned. "Well we know that he's in the same place where your wings are being stored. And we know it's actually him this time because we actually have a stronger bond with him helping us track him," he said excitedly.

Matthew blinked. "T-Then let's get going and get him back! What are we waiting for?" he asked. "Calm down Mattie. We're going to get him back. But don't you realize what this means? We can get your wings AND your brother back! Heck, maybe we can get him to help us get them," said Allistair.

"Wouldn't that put him in danger though? Having him help me get them back is what put him in this mess to begin with. I don't want to keep dragging himself back into danger. It isn't right," he said. "Relax. We don't want him to get hurt any more than you do. If we get his help, it'll only be in a way that helps us without hurting him. More than likely, we'll use his escape as a distraction we can use to sneak in and steal the wings back," said Rhys.

Allistair nodded. "Something like that. Or maybe use the wings as a distraction to get him out. Though, I think that would rais the alarm that we're in the building and might cause them to up the security on him. I think it would be safer to use Alfred as the distraction. No one, especially a human, will think we're going to go straight for the wings. Stealing them might not be enough of a cover for us breaking Alfred out of there," he sas.

Arthur and Francis came out. "I see that everyone is up and about. Mathias, Gilbert, how are you two feeling?" asked Arthur. "Sylvie's got my wing almost up and running. Just a little sore. I'll be up and kicking hunter butt in no time," guarenteed the Prussian. Mathias grinned. "Just a bad headache. Tino will have it worked out in like five minutes. I want to get these guys good," he said.

Arthur nodded. "Matthew, this may be alot to ask of you so far, especially since you're bound to be getting sick soon, but is there any way that you might be able to communicate with your brother? If you do, it could really help us figure out how to go about helping him. Maybe there are some traps we don't know about yet? We don't know the layout of the place he's staying in either. Any detail he can give us helps," he said.

Matthew bit his lip. "I can try. I still feel like there's something blocking me from making contact with him as easily," he said. "Maybe it's the pendant Ivan put on him. He didn't even have to knock the kid out after he slipped it around his neck," said Gilbert, leaning against Sylvia with a content look on his face as she gently rubbed his wrist.

Arthur blinked and his older brothers turned to look at Gilbert. "Pendant. You did mention something about a necklace yesterday. What did it look like?" he asked. "Um, it was circular with another circle impressed in it. It gave me a totally unawesome feeling. It felt...dark and unnatural. Even Ivan was making a face as he handled the ugly thing," said GIlbert.

Mathias nodded. "As Norgy Porgy would say, the pendant was giving off bad energy. The minute Ivan slipped it on Alfred it started glowing. Alfred immediately passed out and Ivan dragged him away," he said. Tino frowned. "I didn't know that...I could have gone after Ivan and sniped him without worrying about Alfred accidentally getting in the way."

"Well it's too late to think about should'ves or could'ves. We need to get to the lad before whatever that penadant does causes too much damage or trouble. Rhys, look through the book of pendants and see if you can get Gilbert or Mathias to recognize any of them. If not, use the books of enchantments, though that would a lot longer," said Allistair.

Arthur nodded and turned to Matthew. "Go some place quiet where you can properly concentrate on contacting your brother. Although...someone should really keep an eye on you while you try…" he trailed off. Sylvia raised her hand. "Gil and I will watch him," she said. "Wait, why-Ouch! Yeah, we'll watch Birdie," said Gilbert, yelping when Sylvia pinched him as he started to question it.

"Well, I guess I better help look through those books...It's the only thing I can apparently help with right now. Though I might see if I can spot any more traps," muttered Francis, walkingAoff. Sylvia and Gil, whose wrist was now feeling a lot better and was close to being completely healed, followed Matthew back to his room.

Sylvia closed the door and let the boys sit on the bed while she made a nest out of the blankets on the floor at Mattie's insistance. "So why do both of us need to keep an eye on him Syl? I want to go downstairs and help them strategize," Gilbert complained. Sylvia sighs and glances at Mattie who shrugged at her. "He's already starting to feel a little sick. If something happens, I'm going to need your help," she said.

Gilbert sighed. "And you don't want your older brothers treating him like he's made of eggshells. Hell, Arthur would probably pass out if he had another thing to worry about. Okay, I'll be awesome and help you two cover it up. Just as long as it's something we can all reasonably handle. You think you can handle trying to talk to your brother through your bond?" he asked. Matthew nodded.

"I have to at least try. Alfred would do the same thing for me if the two of us switched places. I just hope that he's alright…" he trailed. Sylvia sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "I guess the best thing we can do is check in with him and hope for the best. The two of us wil be right here if anything," she said, trying to reassure him. Matthew nodded and leaned against the wall, trying to focus on his connection to his twin.

After a few minutes of concentration, and cursing the fact that Alfred seemed to be distracted by something, Matthew finally was able to directly connect with his brother. " _Alfred? Alfred are you there? Are you alright? Where are you? They haven't done anything to you have they?"_ he immediately asked when he felt as if he was present in his brother's mind.

He felt his brother jolt in surprise. " _M-Mattie? Is it really you or am I starting to imagine stuff?,"_ came Alfred's response. Mattie relaxed and gave a weak laugh. " _It's really me Alfie. Could you please answer the questions before I run out of energy to do this?"_ he asked his brother. " _Wait, how are you even doing this? There's plety of distance between the two of us. It sholdn't be possible…,"_ trailed his brother.

" _It's the twin thing. Alfred, focus before we lose the connection okay?"_ sighed Matthew, once again cursing Alfred's tendency to get easily distracted or sidetracked. Alfred mentally jumped. " _R-Right. I'm fine. Just a sore ankle and a broken wrist. I'm in the basement of some house, I'm like 99% sure it's the same on where your wings are at. They haven't done anything but put this stupid pendant around my neck,"_ he said.

Mattie sighed, happy to hear that, for the most part, his twin was unharmed for the time being. " _Are you okay Mattie? You're not getting sick yet are you?"_ he asked. " _Don't worry. I'm fine. Just an upset stomach. Gilbert and Sylvia are keeping a good eye on me. What is the place they're keeping you in like? Are there any windows or anything?"_

Alfred sighed. " _I'm in an old cellar basment thing that they converted into a jail cell. My cell used to be a pantry or something. There's one other cell on the other side of the cellar in what used to be a work room. In between the two rooms, there's a little living space and a locked door with stairs behind it. There's two girls down here with me."_

Matthew could feel himself bristle at that. They were holding other people captive along with Alfred? Alfred kept talking. " _Listen, Ivan isn't the bad guy here. There's a human who tricked him into thinking that he could get his wings back if he does whatever the human says. That, and the human has Ivan's sisters locked down here. Irunya is locked up and Natalia is trapped in the living space, forced to keep an eye on any prisoners. We need to help them,"_ said Alfred, insistingly.

Matthew sighed. " _I don't know Alfie. We'll try but we're more focused on getting you out of there. Is there anything else you can tell us? Anything would really help us figure out how to find you,"_ he said. " _They have your wings upstairs. Natalia said she is willing to help me get out of here and get you your wings if we can find a way to get rid of the shaman. Also...the pendant is a magic one,"_ said Alfred in a way that Matthew immediately knew that he was trying to hide something bad from him.

" _What is it Alfred? What does the pendant do?"_ he asked. Alfred sighed. " _...It's supposed to drain me of my 'magic'...I don't know how long before it works. But Mattie...didn't Artie say that magic was really having more life energy and all that than the average person? If that's true….if he drains me...I don't know what will happen. But don't worry! Nat and I will stage an epic jailbreak before that could happen! Heck, I'll probably be seeing you any day now, your wings in hand,"_ his brother said jubiantly.

Matthew swallowed, feeling his connection with his brother waver. If they drain him completely..No. No that can't happen. Not to his brother. " _Alfred? We're going to get you out of there. I promise. I won't let them hurt you. Just hang on okay? We'll be there soon,"_ he said. He could faintly feel Alfred smile. " _I know dude. I ain't popping off yet. Love you okay?"_

Matthew sighed and broke the connection, sweat already covering his face. He could feel himself sway before Sylvia gave him a steadying arm. "Is Alfie okay?" she asked quietly. Matthew nodded. "B-But I'm not sure how long that'll last….He thinks he knows what the pendant is doing to him. It isn't good," he said. "Are you feeling alright Mattie?" asked Gilbert, rubbing his hurt wrist absentmindedly.

Matthew blinked, feeling drained, which only made his stomach and bones ache a bit more. "Just really drained…." said Matthew, not wanting to worry anyone, especially with the news he's going to have to give them all. Sylvia frowned. "I can give you some energy if you like...it would required a bond though," she said. Matthew sighed and gave her his hand. If he wanted to continue being able to contact Alfred, he'd need the energy. _And she_ is _my sister. I suppose I should get to know her._

Sylvia took his hand and he blinked as he felt a sudden buzz of energy go through him followed by soft thoughts of concern directed toward him and Gilbert. Sylvia didn't say anything, just gave her some of her energy and drop her hand. "Better?" she asked. Matthew nodded, his stomach feeling slightly better. "Oui, Merci," he responded.

The trio made their way downstairs and found Mathias and Reily joking around while a frustrated Rhys was trying to get the Dane's attention, a book of pendants in hand. The rest of them were gathered around the circle, having an intense discussion. Sylvia cleared her throat, trying to get someone's attention. She frowned when she got no response.

"HEY, WE FIGURED OUT WHAT THE PENDANT THING DOES YOU BOZOS. WE ALSO MADE CONTACT WITH ALFRED SO IF YOU GUYS CAN PAY ATTENTION, THAT WOULD BE AWESOME!" shouted Gilbert, making Matthew jump and Sylvia flinch. At that, everyone turned around. Surprisingly, no one scolded Gilbert for shouting. "What did you find out? Is he okay?" demanded Arthur.

Matthew swallowed. "He's fine. His ankle is sore and his arm is broken...He's being kept in the basement of the house where the wings are located. He said that Ivan isn't the bad guy here.." At that, there was an uproar from the others. "What do you mean?" asked Francis, frowning. "Who else could have been doing it? I was sure it was Ivan that I shot at!" exclaimed Arthur.

Matthew sighed. "A human has told Ivan that he could get him his wings back if he does the things he tells him to. Alfred didn't really go that deep into how they met or why the human is doing this. He just said that the human had Ivan's older sister locked in a cell and his younger sister down in the basement to look after any prisoners. It sounds like they're just as captive by the human as Alfred is."

Allistiar frowned. "That's how the human is controlling Ivan than," he said. Antonio nodded. "Sí, those were the only two people Ivan was ever really close to. If they were in danger, he would do what he could to help them," he said. Francis nodded. "Oui. They were the only ones who stuck by him when he lost his wings. Has anyone thought to check on the Baltic trio?" he asked.

Tino nodded. "Eduard is fine. He's actually been trying to join our flock ever since Ivan's fell apart. Toris has been spending more time with Felix and Ravis actually had a growth spurt. They're all fine. I don't think they're caught up in any of this. They all seemed pretty happy to find new flocks to join," said Tino.

Francis frowned, looking over Matthew carefully. "There's something else bothering you, isn't there? What else did your brother says?" he asked. Kuma, sensing Mattie's nerves, nuzzled him. Matthew pet the bear and swallowed. "H-He thinks he knows what the pendant can do. At least, this is what Natalia told him that the pendant is supposed to do," he said, trying to stall until he could think of a nicer way to put this.

"Out with it boy-o. What does it do?" asked Reiley, frowning as he set the book of enchantments he was holding. Matthew swallowed. "I-Its supposed to drain him of his magic. Alfred says that Natalia says the human means to drain him completely…" The Kirklands' eyes all widened and the rest frowned, wondering why this sounded so bad.

"A-Al said he rememberd you saying that magic was just having more life energy or something like that than normal….He thinks that if they drain him...he'll die. P-Please tell me that isn't true. T-That they're just trying to use him as a magic source or something. Neither of us knew anything about having magic before...H-He wouldn't even notice the loss," begged Matthew, eyes starting to tear up as he saw looks of horror start to take over the magic users' faces.

"...Y-You said the human hasn't touched his wings, right?" said Reiley. Matthew nodded. Arthur covered his mouth and swore quietly. Allistair, on the other hand, swore violently. "Smart boy...He figured it out quite quickly on his own," said Rhys quietly. "S-So it's true? They're trying to drain him and kill him?" asked Matthew tearfuly. Reiley nodded. "That's why they haven't cut off his wings….It'd be a waste if he were to die in the end anyways, he said quietly.

"Shut up! That's Alfred you're talking about!" shouted Arthur at his brother. Allistair quickly stepped between them. "Rhys, find what pendant does that. Find the spell. Figure out if there's a way to reverse it," he said. Rhys nodded and started quickly flipping through the different spellbooks stacked around him. Reiley jumped down and helped his brother look through the spellbooks.

Arthur frowns. "We need to come up with a plan, but we also need someone to stay with Matthew. I like the distraction idea. Who ever stays with Matthew would have to be willing to act as back up in case of anything," he said. Matthew frowns. "I'll be fine on my own," he argued. Arthur shook his head. "What if you start getting sick? What if something happens to me and the barriers go down? Besides, if something goes wrong it's a good idea to have people here ready to go," he said.

Sylvia frowned. "I'll stay with Matthew since I still can't fly yet," she volunteered. Gilbert sighed but raised his uninjured hand as well. "I'll stay...If something happens here I don't want to leave the two on their own. That and my wing is still pretty sore," he said. Tino smiles. "I'll stay here just in case something happens. Sylvia and I will keep an eye on Gil, Mathias, and Matthew," he said.

Mathias frowned. "Wait, what?! Why do I have to stay! I was a viking! I could totally walk this off and kick some butt!" he said. "You're still sore and if something happens, we could use some help out," said Tino. "You really think Syl and Matthew are fighters?" said Gilbert with a snort. Both glared at him. Gilbert grinned and ruffled Sylvia's hair. "I know you are honey but I don't want you getting hurt. And your brother is gonna be getting sick soon," he said to try to make the two feel better.

"So what's our plan of action? Just storm the place?" asked Allistair, eyebrow raised. Arthur shook his head. "We'll split in half. Half of us get in and search for the wings and the other half searches for Alfred. Whoever goes for the wings, be ready for a fight and be willing to stall until we can all make a fast getaway. Those who search for Alfred have to able to sneak around and try not to make our presence known," he said.

"This is going to be hard without knowing what the inside of the house looks like. The circle warps how the floorplans look," said Francis. Rhys sighed and went into the caves before coming back out with a crystal ball. He walked over to circle and made a gesture that caused the circle on the ground to disappear. After a few seconds, the image the cirlce once held was present in the crystal ball.

"There. Now it can give us turn by turn instructions," said Reiley with a grin. "Antonio, you come with if you like. That way the wing party and the search party are even. Francis will head the wing party. I'll lead the search party. Allistiar and Reiley are with me. Rhys and Antonio are with Francis," said Arthur. Everyone nodded. Matthew sighed. He hated that he couldn't even go on the rescue trip he had caused the reason for to begin with.

Matthew cleared his throat. "Um just one thing. Alfred said that Natalia was planning on getting him out of there. I don't know if he'll stay put until we get to him or not…" he said. Francis gave Matthew a gentle smile. "Oui, but remember that was before he knew that we were coming to help him for sure. I bet that since he's injured he'll sit tight for us," he said. Arthur frowned. "I'm sure your brother has enough common sense to stay put," he said.

 **Will Alfred have enough common sense to stay put? Do I even need to ask that question? STAY TUNED.**


	20. Chapter 20: Taking Action

Guess who doesn't have common sense...This guy.

Alfred blinked and suddenly collapsed when he felt his brother cut the connection so suddenly. Nat blinked and reached to pull one of his wings straight before he could land on it wrong. "Are you alright?" she asked him quietly. Alfred gave her a shakey nod. "Y-Yeah...I just wasn't expecting him to cut the connection so quickly. That and I feel a little drained," he said.

Nat frowned. "There has to be a way to get rid of the pendant...Maybe you can't pull it out but it might be enchanted so someone else as to do it," she said. Alfred got up and pulled himselves over to the bars. Nat reached through the bars and wrapped her fingers around the pendant before pulling. Alfred felt a surge of electricity go through him painfully. Nat hissed and jumped back about three feet.

"Are you okay?" asked Alfred, sagging against the bars. He felt even worse than before they tried to pull the pendant off. She nodded, crawling back over to the cell door. "I'm fine...my fingers are just a bit burnt. I guess we learned that that's a bad idea," Natalia said. Alfred sighed. "I guess...How is it that he can do this though? Humans don't have magic. At least, none of the normal humans I know," he said.

Natalia frowned. "He claims that he's a shaman...a magical leader for a group of humans," she said. Alfred sat straight up, eyes wide. "What?! What is he?" he asked. "...A shaman. He said that his position allowed him access to rare magic books and spells us avians wouldn't have ever heard or dream of. One of them is supposed to allow him to get Ivan his wings back and the other supposedly created the pendant," she said.

"What's his name…?" swallowed Alfred. She was watching him carefully now. "Alecai. That's the name he gave us anyways. It's not like I really trust him, to be honest," she shrugged. Alfred rubbed his head. "T-That's the shaman, the elder, of the village next to us. H-He always seemed like a nice guy, b-but I guess that explained why our village elder told us to make sure he never knew about my wings," he said.

Natalia frowned. "He wouldn't have known about you….this all started when you were younger….maybe before you were even born." To be honest, she didn't know just how old Alfred really was. Alfred shook his head. "No it all makes sense. Villagers weren't allowed to talk to outsiders about me or Mattie. I couldn't show my wings to strangers or anyone outside the village. Our elder made certain of that."

Nat frowns. "Maybe he saw that there was something wrong with the other shaman, elder, whatever you want to call him. ...He was pretty unhinged after you and your brother got away. Mabye Alecai slipped up and let soemthing out. That, and if he decorates his old hut the way the upstairs is decorated, there's no doubt that he hunts avian," she said.

Alfred frowned. "He isn't in charge of the village anymore...There was something that happened and he was pushed out. I-I don't know what it was. He and a whole bunch of people were exiled from their village and banned from entring ours. No one would tell me why. It happened a year or two after they found Mattie and I," he said.

Natalia frowned. "He must have gone nuts or something. Alfred...Does your village elder know magic or anything?" she asked. Alfred nodded. "He's the only human who has access to the ancient books. He doesn't use it that often, only when it was absolutely necessary. Why are you asking?" he said.

Natalia rolled her eyes. "Don't you see? There's no telling how long you have before that pendant starts to seriously drain you or worse. We need to get out of here before that happens. We would need someone who can take off that pendant. Your Elder would be our best bet. You think you can help us find our way there?" she asked.

Alfred blinked. "We?" he asked. Natalia rolled her eyes again. "You really think I would just let you roam the forest by yourself with that thing poisoning you. Setting you free would be pointless. You'd just die or get recaptured. I'm going with you to make sure all of this finally ends. It'll be you, me, and Irunya. Ivan is out on another mission, he'll come when the shaman beckons," she said.

Alfred nodded. "Any chance we can get Mattie's wings back while we're at it? ...I don't want this to go to waste," he said. Natalia snorts. "Are you serious? That's a suicide mission in your state. Irunya and I are probably going to end up having to carry you there halfway through," she said. Alfred glared at her, looking a bit offended. "Of course I'm serious. I didn't get beat up and caged just for kicks and giggles," he said.

She sighed and touched his arm. "Your flock is coming for you, yes?" she said. Alfred hesitated before nodded. "Let them get the wings. It'd be hard for us to be able to escape from upstairs, especially since Irunya hasn't flown in awhile. If we escape just us, it'd give your flock one less thing to worry about. You'd be rescuing my sister, possibly even my brother, by helping us get out of here," she said, appealing to his hero complex.

Alfred sighed. "You really think so?" He was quiet as he thought what she said over. "I guess you're right. How are we getting out of here?" he asked. Natalia smirked. "I was thinking a full jail break. I know you're getting a little drained, but if I help you do you think you can help me knock out that tiny window up there and some of the cinderblocks around it," she asked. Alfred grinned and nodded. "I just need something to knock them out with, he said.

Natalia grinned back before leaving and returning with the key. "We have to be quiet while we do it. Go ahead and try to find something to knock out the basement windows while I free my sister. We just need a hole big enough for us to wiggle through one at a time. It's still early enough that he'd still be sleeping. He says the magic wears him out," she said.

The cell door slid open letting Alfred to be able to walk into the living space Natalia had called home for who knows how long. Alfred followed her to the other side and watched as she squated down at the other cell door and spoke in a gentle voice. "Irunya, we need to leave. We're finally going to escape this place, me, you, and Big Brother," said Natalia softly. There was a whimper and a series of whispers too soft for Alfred to make out.

"You think you can still fly? We're going to need to make good time okay? I might need your help getting the other prisoner out of here. Vanya is going to meet us later. He wants us to get out of here before the fight he and some other flocks are planning. We must go," said Natalia, throwing in a coulple of tiny lies in attempts to ensure her sister would leave with them.

Alfred found a nice mop which, once he ripped off the fabric part of it, served as a nice metal rod. The door flew open to the cell as Natalia was given a bear hug by her brother. "Vanya is going to meet us later? You promise? I don't want him to get hurt by that horrible man," she said. Natalia nodded. "I promise. We need to go. Now," she said cooly.

With that her sister turned and noticed Alfred. "Is this the other prisoner who we're escaping with?" she asked. Natalia nodded. Alfred grinned and held out a hand. "Nice to meet you miss. I'm Alfred. Alfred F. Jones. We're getting out of here and rende-vouzing at a nearby village. I know someone who can help all of us," he said. Irunya hesitated. "...More humans?" she asked.

"They're good people. They exiled Alecai to begin with and raised my brother and I. They'll help us. They're still my family," said Alfred. Natalia gave her sister a reassuring nod. Irunya smiled. "Then I'm sure this will all turn out alright. How are we getting out of here?" she asked. Alfred held up the rod. "With this and a broken window," he said.

The trio walked back into Alfred's cell and watched as he thrusted the rod at the window. The window immediately cracked. With another blow, it finally shattered and Alfred used the rod to knock out the broken glass. Natalia frowned. "The window's still not wide enough for our wings. The cinderblocks are crumbling around it. Think you can break them up?" she said.

Alfred rolled his eyes. "Duh," he said before hefting the rod once more. Cracks formed but nothing started curmbling. He frowned and tried a few times, finally getting chunks to fall away from the window. Natalia sighed. "This is taking too long," she huffed before taking the other end of the rod and helping him break up the stone bricks.

Alfred made a face but decided that her help was making quick work of the stones. After a few minutes, they managed to finish. "Nat, you go first and let us know if the coast is clear. I'll boost you up before I boost your sister up. That sound good?" he asked. Natalia nodded and watched as Alfred cupped his hands. She climbed up onto his hand, careful not to jolt his injured arm, and used his boost to grab hold of the windowsill.

Natalia manged to wiggle through the hole and peak around. "It's clear." Irunya was boosted up next, grabbing the windowsill before her sister helped pull her through. "Your turn now Alfred. Irunya and I will pull you up," whispered Natalia. Alfred nodded and jumped up, using his wings to give him a boost up. Once the girls had a hold on his good arm and he had a good foothold on the wall, they pulled him through.

"Thanks girls," he whispered to them when he was finally able to crouch by the opening they made. "What now?" asked Irunya. Alfred frowned. "We get out of there...but I may have kinda forgotten about the fact that this place as a lot of traps around it," he said. Natalia rolled her eyes. "I figured as much. Ivan usually uses the main one that the shaman has where he can watch Vanya's comings and goings. Vanya, however, clears a trail for me whenever we get a new prisoner," said Natalia.

Alfred raised an eyebrow. "You know where exactly that trail is?" he asked. "Of course I do," huffed Natalia, "Vanya marks the trail with sunflowers. We just have to follow them out of here," she said. Alfred frowned. "How do we know the shaman hasn't caunght on to this yet?" he asked. Natalia smirked.

"His traps aren't removed. Just avoided or disarmed. Ivan marks out the best way to get out and tells me what traps there are to look for and how to take care of them. I pass the information on to the escapees. Alecai can get bigger and better traps or as many traps as he wants, but since Ivan is the one who does the dirty work of putting them in place, it's pointless.

"He doesn't think Ivan would do anything that might jeapordize him getting his wings back or that might put Irunya in danger. What that bastard doesn't realize is that Ivan hates hurting other people just because he's told to. If he could get them away without them getting hurt or worse, he'll do it. Now, enough talk. We should get going before we get spotted. Vanya told me that the newest entrance is by that pine tree," said Natalia.

Alfred nodded. "Stay low and out of plain sight. Hurry to those trees," he said. Both girls nodded, Irunya looking a little afraid. Natalia sighed and pulled her sister behind her, the two of them quickly shuffling over to the pine trees. Once they were hidden by the branches of the tree, Alfred took a good look around to make sure the coast was clear and followed them.

Once they were hidden behind the tree, Alfred stretched a little. "Okay, are we looking for actual sunflowers, carvings of sunflowers, or sunflower seeds or something?" he asked. "All of the above. If there's a carving, we don't go that way because that trail has already been used. We're looking for patches of sunflowers, or piles of sunflower seeds, with no markings near them. After that, we keep an eye out for any traps until we find the next sunflower," said Natalia.

Alfred nodded before giving her a curious look. "Why sunflowers though?" he said. She frowned. "What do you mean?" "Why does he use sunflowers to mark traps?" he asked. "Vanya loves sunflowers. Sunflower seeds are his favorite snack. Alecai gives him the seeds to munch on when checking traps to try to keep Vanya from getting mad at doing the mans dirty work. Vanya figured they'd make a good inconspicious marking for a trail," said Irunya with a slight smile.

The plan isn't going according to plan. Oops

With the teams set up, Arthur and Francis started rummaging through the cave, looking for all the weapons they could find. Antonio also pitched in, flying back to his own stand where he sold battle axes. The Spainard also went to other nearby flocks asking if they had any extra weapons laying around.

Sylvia made Gilbert watch Matthew while she gathered bandages and salves for a first aid kit, which she forced Francis to bring with him. Tino helped Gilbert and Mathais sharpen any dull blades on the swords, knives, and axes Francis, Antonio, and Arthur find. The older Kirkland brothers were searching through the various spell books looking for any attack spells or potions that may be of help.

Matthew sighed as he sat and watched everyone. He felt completely and utterly useless. He wasn't contributing anything, especially since his head was starting to throb so badly that he couldnt' concentrate enough to contact his brother. This fact was something that bothered him a lot because he felt like there was something about his brother that was bothering. He just hoped his brother wasn't pulling any stunts or anything to try to get under his captor's skin.

Sylvia glances at her brother. "I'm sure Alfred is fine. I can go see if Arthur has a salve for you headache or something," she offers. Matthew shakes his head. "I'm fine...just worried. I just don't want anyone getting hurt," he said. Gilbert grinned. "Don't worry about it. Antonio said that if anything happens, the other people who loaned weapons are willing to come in and kick major booty," he said.

Matthew looked confused. "That's great and all...but why exactly is everyone so eager to help my brother and I? We have been gone for almost fifty years. And from what I've heard from Antonio and Arthur, and Arthur and Francis, there's some flocks who don't exactly like ours. Why risk their lives for us?" he asked, finally asking a question he'd been wondering for the longest time.

Gilbert grins. "Hey, we all fight. I mean, we're all centuries old, at least most of us are. When you're stuck with the same group of people for that long of a time you tend to get at each other throats. But when there's something wrong or something major goes down, we'll help each other out. That's especially in this case when it was a couple of fledglings with no defense. Ooh, and the fact that Ivan was involved got a whole bunch of people curious," he said.

Mathias looked up from where he was sitting with Tino. "And the fact that we now know that it was a human organizing all of this the whole time, and not Ivan, mans we got to get involved before anyone else gets hurt. When we thought Ivan was in charge of all this, we were sure that would make it almost impossible to stop him without people getting seriously hurt," he said.

"The fact that a human is doing all of this guarantees that we all have to get invovled because it's a threat to all of us. Who knows how many people he's told? It's forbiddened to let any humans get invovled in avian affairs. Heck, it's forbidened to let humans know about our kind. If we interact with them at all, we keep our wings covered," said Gilbert.

Matthew blinked. "What does that mean for the village that took Alfred and I in? There were humans there that knew about us," he said. Gilbert shrugged. "We'll probably hold a summit or something to try to figure that out. I don't know. That's something my brother would be able to answer. He tends to arrange those meetings," said Gilbert, shrugging.

Sylvia jumped in. "If they're as kind as what you said, I'm sure they won't be harmed or anything. There's really no reason to worry about them, especially since they took care of you two when none of us were able to," she said. Gilbert threw an arm around Matthew. "Don't worry. We'll take care of all this. You just focus on not throwing up on your sister," he said.

Matthew's face turned red as Sylvia scooted away. "H-How did you know I was feeling that sick?" he asked. Gil shrugged. "Syl's my mate and right now she's focused on how you feel. And yes Syl, you should probably get him a bucket. And ginger tea. I don't think beer will fix this," he said. Sylvia sighed and got up to go find those things.

Arthur walked over to his brothers. "You guys got enough potions made? Need any more jars?" he asked. Allistair rolled his eyes and threw an arm around his brother. "Don't worry lad. We'll get Alfred back. You can stop trying to micromanage us now," he said, giving his youngest brother a slight nuggie.

Arthur sputtered and squirmed out of his brother's grasp only to have a certain Irishman wrap his arms around him from behind. "Ah, Artie's coming to his brothers for comfort. It's enough to bring tears to my eyes!" he said. Rhys snorted. "You keep talking like that and I doubt he'll do it again. Let him go Reiley," he said. With a huff, Reiley released the now flustered and beet-red Englishman.

With all three brothers grinning at him, well, Rhys was smirking at him, Arthur could feel his face get hot. "J-Just...bugger off you arses," he said. Reiley grinned and ruffled his hair. "I love it when we make him all flustered. But in all seriousness, we're going to get Alfie back and we're getting Mattie his wings back. We're taking that shaman bloke out and then we're coming back and having what Alfie was calling a kegger," said Reiley.

Arthur rolled his eyes but found himself relaxing a bit. "Just as long as you keep the young ones out of the booze. But the potions, are you almost done? Are you sure we have enough?" he asked. Allistair held up a bag full of small round jars. "Aye, we have plenty. Enough that everyone should have at least three. The four of us will have a few extra jars on them, however. Everyone else is just getting the simpler potions that won't blow up or kill anyone if mishandled," he said.

Arthur nodded. "Good job. I gather everyone together and distribute them in a second. Before that, however, I need your help adding more wards and strengthening the barrier. I don't want to have to worry about those here while we're off. That, and I don't want to make it at all easy for anyone othere than us to be able to get in and out," he said.

The four brothers quickly agreed on which wards should be done and who should do them before flying off to different parts of the cliffs to start building up the barrier and apply the wards. Francis watched them as they flew around. "Once they finished builidng up the barriers, we'll need to help recharge them and be ready to fly. Tino, you and Mathias finished sharpening all of the weapons?"

Tino nodded and he and Mathais started passing out weapons, making sure that those who were staying behind also had a fitting weapon. Arthur nodded at everyone there. "Alright men. We'll take two separate routes. The wing group will come in from the north, that way he can see you guys coming. Two of you should be willing to fight while the other attempts to get the wings. The second team will come in from the south and sneak through the back," said Arthur.

"Oui. That sounds like a good idea. Listen up. If anything happens, get Alfred out of there first. He is our priority. While I would like to get Mathieu his wings back, Alfred's safety is more important," said Francis. Arthur nodded before a hard look got into his eyes. "And if you see any hunters, don't worry about leaving behind survivors. If you can leave Alecai to me, I'd greatly appreciate. But if it can't be helped, be sure to kill him. I don't want him to ecape without facing whtat he did to my flock," he said.

They all nodded and Antonio turned to Gilbert. "If anything happens, Francis or I will try to make contact with you. If we say we need backup, it's up to you call Ludwing. Tu hermano is organizing our plans B through Z. Don't be surprised if he stops by to check on you. He seems a bit worried about you and Sylvia. If you two need help, call Ludwig," said Antonio.

Gilbert got up and hugged Antonio and Francis. "Don't worry about me and the others. We'll be fine. Tino, Mathias, and I have been in our fair share of scruffles. And Sylvie and Mattie are tough birds. Just the other day Sylvia almost made Sadiq cry when he insulted her cooking. That and Elizaveta taught her how to spar," he said.

"We'll be fine. You guys just look after each other and try not to get hurt, okay?" said Matthew quietly from where he was sitting with his sister. Arthur and Francis both gave him a hung. "Do not leave the barriers. Don't come after us, no matter what you hear. Your brother will be fine. We'll make sure that he comes back safe," said Arthur. Francis nodded, kissing the top of of Mattie's head. "You just focus on getting better," he said. With that, both groups flew away.


	21. Chapter 21: The Great Escape

Mattie watched them go away. "What do we do while they're gone. I have a bad feeling about Alfred…." he said. Tino glanced over at them. "You think your brother is hurt or something? If so, we should make the others aware of that," he said. Matthew shook his head. "He's not hurt….I just have a feeling that he managed to screw up our plan somehow…" he said.

Sylvia raised an eyebrow. "How so?" she asked. Matthew sighed and concentrated on his brother. "...I don't think he's at the house any more," he said. Mathias blinked. "What? Did they move him? Did they move the wings too? Crap, what would this do to our plan?" he asked. Matthew sighed and shook his head. "The idiot left on his own...I don't feel as if he's panicking about anything. Just tired," he said.

Gilbert frowned. "He escaped. That's a good thing. We just need to tell the others! All they have to worry about is meeting up with him and getting your wings now!" he said. Matthew scowls. "Knowing Alfred, he has a completely separate plan to come back and take out Alecai. I have no idea where he's going. He could get himself killed if he tries any stunts."

"I'm sure your brother knows better than that. I mean, he knew we were going to come after him," said Mathias. Matthew gave him a look. "We thought he'd stay put too. You guys don't now Alfred. He may know better but he's willing to ignore better judgement if it gets him results," he said.

Sylvia groaned. "Are you a hundred percent sure?...It could just be the start of the spell getting to you or stress about all of this. I'm sure Alfred is fine and where he needs him to be, mon ami," she said. Matthew shook his head. "N-Non..I'm sure there's something wrong. I-I need to contact him again. Make sure he's alright. If anything happens to him, it's on me," he said.

"Mathieu, you're already not feeling the best...it may not be a good idea to strain yourself in trying to contact him. Before it was necessary but right now, I'm sure the others can handle it. We don't know if straining yourself will make the spell's sideeffects worse on you. It's not safe Mattie," she said softly.

Before Matthew can argue, Gilbert jumped in. "And your brother is also being drained too by a spell...It takes a lot of energy to talk to other people when they're far away. You could not only wear yourself down or wear him donw. Both of you would have to expell some energy to keep the conversation up, even if it's only for a minute," he said.

Matthew hesitated. "I-Is it possible for me to take on the brunt of the energy loss? Arthur can cut the link between my wings and I if it gets too bad...I just need to know he's safe. I rather have my brother back than my wings," he said. Sylvia studied him for a few seconds before sighing.

"I'll give you the energy you need then...Just try not to take too long. It's difficult to extrenally facilitate a telepathic conversatin, especially when I'm not fully bonded with one of them," she said. Matthew frowns. "Fully bonded?" he asked. She waved him away. "Siblings are born with a connection. And if you're bonded to people who's already bonded to someone, but you're not bonded to them, you are a bit more sensitive to them than normal," she said.

Matthew hesitated. "But what about you?" he asked. Sylvia shook her head. "Don't worry about that. I can spare a little," she said, He nodded and started concentrating on connecting with his brother. He felt Sylvia put her hands, followed by an sudden eletrical jolt of energy. Feeling a little bit better, he used his bond with his twin to try to jumpstart a conversation.

 **I have like, 9% of a plan. That's something right?**

Alfred could feel himself aching as they walked through the forest. So far, they've gotten past three traps but after his wings got lightly singed by a trap that threw fireballs, he was starting to get tired of being in pain...and being tired. That pendant sure was doing its job, that's for sure. "Are we almost there? I don't remember the last time I've walked this far," muttered Irunya.

"Well you have been trapped in there for a few decades, only to be let out whenver we can convince Alecai to let you out so you could walk around. It's no wonder that this is a bit difficult for the both of us," said Natalia. Alfred sighed. "But she does have a point. It's not going to be much farther, is it? The sooner we get out of here the sooner my feathers can stop standing on end," he said.

Natalia huffed. "He didn't say how long it would be before we reach the exit point. Just that the trails he mark will eventually reach the exit points," she said. "How long have we been out here?" asked Irunya. "About twenty minutes, judging by the sun and shadows," muttered Alfred. "We just have to watch where we step from here. If we accidentally brush against the net ourselves, Alecai will know about it. We'll have to use branchs to prop it up," said Natalia.

Alfred blinked. "How would he know?" he asked. "It has a magical spell on it. He was bragging about it the one time Natalia and I asked him about a prisoner who wasn't able to get away the first time Nat helped him escape," said Irunya quietly. Alfred glanced at her. "You said Alecai hadn't been able to harvest any avian wings or magic on his own," he said. Natalia sighed. "He brushed up against the net. It fried him," she said bluntly.

Alfred winced. "Oh...ouch. So no touching the net. Got it," he said. Alfred looked around and found a broken branch laying at the base of a tree. "Here, we can use this as a way to figure out where the net is without bursting into flames or something," he said. Natalia took the branch away from him and handed it to Irunya. "Let someone with two working arms hold the branch," she said.

Alfred scolwed. "I'm fine...though now that you mention it, I should probably put it in a splint. I set it as best as I could," he said, holding his arm carefully. Natalia sighed. "If you just let me heal it, we wouldn't have to worry about it. We can have your brother severe the bond later. Your brother is Arthur Kirkland, correct?" she asked. Alfred nodded and thought about it before sighing.

"I guess...but lets out of here before we try doing that. The sooner we get out of here, the better our chances of not getting recaptured or having our escape found out," said Alfred. Natalia nodded before jumping at a shriek coming from Irunya. They both spun around and found her holding a burning branch. "I think I found the net….Nata, help me find another branch," said Irunya, frantically blowing at the stick until it finally extinguished.

Natalia found a branch and ran over to her sister, careful to avoid any traps. The two sisters managed to prop a section of the net up before letting Alfred crawl through first. After he manage to stumble through, he held up a branch so Irunya could crawl through next. Then, they helped Natalia get through before carefully knocking the branches down and tossing them aside so if Alecai came by that portion of the net, no one would notice.

The trio got up and quickly ran into the forest, deciding that it was best to get away as fast as they could and take a break when they got to tired and takinging easy from there. Alfred winced with every step, his ankle not fully appreciating the fact that they were finally free. It was especially awkwared to run on one bad ankle while having told hold his arm close in hopes that he wouldn't accidentally jolt it, which he did about ten or more times. It was getting hard to hold back the tears from doing this.

To Alfred's relief, they only ran about twenty minutes before Irunya started begging that they stop so she could catch her breath. The minute the trio stopped, Irunya sunk to her knees, gasping for breath. Alfred immediately let himself drop to the ground before rolling onto his back, panting. Natalia crawled over to him and tugged on his good arm. "Give me your other arm. We still have to walk another mile before we can be sure we're out of Alecai's sight. Cant' have you limping the entire way," she said.

"I can manage another mile," said Alfred, his face getting a bit red. Natalia huffed. "I'm not risking all three of our freedom on that. I'm healing you and that's the end of it," she said sternly. He sighed and handed her his arm. She carefuly planted her hands around the break, making him supress a whimper, before closing her eyes and concentrating. "Just don't get all sleepy after this, we need you to help us find that village," she said.

Alfred started relaxing as he felt a cooling sensation go through him. He didn't even notice her set his arm and continue healing it. Natalia worked silently, moving to his ankle once his arm was somewhat healed. When she was done, there were little beads of sweat covering her forehead. "That pendant makes it extremely difficult to heal you. It's like I'm exerting two or three times the energy these injuries normally need to heal," she said.

"Sorry...I didn't think about that. You think you'll still be able to walk and fly the rest of the way?" he asked. A flash of something went across her face but she nodded. Irunya smiled as she watched the two of them. "I feel much better now. Do you two need a bit more time or are we ready to get going again? I'm sure Alecai must be at least suspicious that Natalia hasn't called for ingredients for lunch yet," she said.

Natalia nodded. "I'm okay and yes, I'm ready to get going now. You're right. We can't just stand around. Alfred, are you able to go too?" she asked. Aflred nodded and stood up, grinning at the Belarussian as he found that his ankle was perfectly fine. She gave him a brief nod before helping her sister up and starting to walk. He stumbled and quickly caught up with the two of them, correcting their course so they could get to the village easier. Alfred found that even though they heard of the village, only Nat has ever been there and that was by chance.

After another twenty minutes of walking, they finally reached a clearing where they could all stretch their wings without worrying about space. Irunya let out an excited giggle. "I can't believe it...After all these years, I'm finally free and able to fly! It's been so long! Nat, do you remember the last time we've been able to fly together? What if I've forgotten how to do it?" asked Irunya in a long ramble.

Nat smiled for the first time in a long time. "I'm sure you'll get the hang of it. If not, I'm sure a quick shove out a tree will be enough to give you a reminder on how to do it," she said. Irunya playfully swatted her sister. "Don't be that way. I'm sure you're right. Hopefully Vanya can get away from Alecai without getting hurt. I would hate it if he gets hurt because we escape," said Irunya, momentarily looking worried.

"Irunya, don't worry! My flock combined with Ivan and the others will be sure to take down won't let Ivan get seriously hurt. Alecai is the only one who has anything to really worry about," said Alfrd, putting a reassuring hand on Irunya's shoulder. Irunay gave him a smile. "I hope you're right. It's wonderful that so many people are willing to come together to help Vanya get out of this mess," she. Natalia and Alfred exchanged a look. "It is," said Natalia quietly.

Alfred jumped up and gave his wings a couple of flaps before hovering. "You guys thing you're able to mange it?" he thinks. Natalia nodded and jumped up before hovering next to him. Irunya needed a few more minutes to be able to get in the air, but once she was able to she gave them both a bright smile. "I miss this feeling so much. Let's get going! I want to get above the clouds!" she said.

They had just gotten above the clouds when Alfred suddenly froze and dipped. "Alfred!" said Natalia sharply, before flying closer in case she needed to catch him. He struggled to stay in the air but gave them a reassuring smile. "I-I'm fine. Mattie's trying to start up a conversation. Just...give me a second," he muttered before closing his eyes and trying to concentrate on his brother.

" _I'm kinda busy Mattie. Is it important? Because this thing on my chest is still leaching on my energy so I really can't afford a social call,"_ said Alfred to his brother. He could feel his brother groan under his breath. " _Yeah well I don't want to mooch off Sylvia any longer that I have to. I'm just calling because I had a bad feeling about you. You're not hurt are you? You're still in the cellar right?"_ his brother asked, half frantic and half hesitant.

Alfred mentally flinched. Right. His brother had told him to sit tight. I guess you could say he was doing the exact opposite of that. Oops. His bad. " _Yeah….About that…"_ he said. " _YOU DIDN'T! YOU ABSOLUTELY DID NOT!"_ shouted Matthew, giving Alfred a headache. " _...You're going to have to be a bit more specific,"_ said Alfred slowly, trying to come up with a way to calm his brother down.

" _Right, let me be more specific. YOU DID NOT LEAVE THE CELLAR WITHOUT TELLING ANYONE FIRST AND LETTING THE ENTIRE MISSION GET RUINED!"_ yelled Matthew. " _I have a plan Mattie! I can't just sit around and wait for you guys to rescue me like some of kind of damsel in distress! Or even worse, sit around while my life is literally being sucked away!"_ argued Alfred.

" _That's what I'm doing! You just have to trust that Arthur and Francis and the rest will undo everything and set it all right before it goes bad!"_ said Matthew. " _No offense Mattie, but at least you can be sure that Artie can undo what happened to you before you end up kicking the bucket. I don't know for sure that Arthur and the other Kirklands can undo whatever magic the shaman used on me. Have they even started trying to find a way to undo it?"_ asked Alfred.

Alfred could feel his brother hesitate as he reconsidered what he just said. " _No..but...Alfred, where are you going? Is there someone going with you in case you get low on energy? Can you trust them? How far are you going and what do you plan on doing when you get there? Alfred, you don't tend to think things through or think far enough ahead before pulling stunts like this,"_ said Matthew.

Alfred scowled. " _Of course I have a plan! I'm going to our village shaman and having him undo the spell. I have Ivan's sisters with me and yes, before you ask, they are both trustworthy. After I'm finished having that done, I'm going to have them stay with the family in the village until we can get this stupid Alecai guy out of the picture. If they feel uncomfortable staying with humans, I'm sending to our nest or the Nordic nest until we can come back with their brother and your wings,"_ said Alfred.

He could feel his brother's surprise at his plan. Alfred smiled triumphantly. And he says he never thinks ahead. How's that for thinking ahead...and being sensitive to the girls' needs? " _...Fine, that does actually sound like a pretty good plan so far. But wait...what will you be doing after you drop the girls off?"_ asked Mattie. Alfred hesitated. " _Look Mattie, don't worry. I'll be fine. I figured that depends on how low on energy I am. Listen, I have to get going. Love you bro,"_ said Alfred before quickly cutting the connection.

Nat and Irunya were quick to steady Alfred as he suddenly felt a drop in his energy that made him forget to flap for a split second. "How much farther is this village? Do you think you could make it there?" asked Nat. Alfred ran a hand through his hair. "I can make it. You guys don't need to hold onto me. I just wasn't expecting it to drop so badly after the connection broke. And I'm sure I'll be able to get there alright," said Alfred with a grin.

Natalia gave her sister a slight frown. " _If he starts struggling to stay in the air, do you think you could help me get him to the village? I don't think he's telling the truth about being able to fly himself all the way there,"_ she asked Irunya. Irunya nodded. " _If I have to I can...but you'll have to take most of the weight. My wings are still a bit weak from not using them. It'll be hard too, he's almost twince your size,"_ she said.

Natalia sighed. " _It'll be worth it though. Just remember that he's the one who'll get us out of this hell. Big Brother won't have to work for that monster any more. We can finally go back to being a flock and try to forget this ever happened,"_ she told her sister. Irunya brightened. " _You're right. He's helped us so much. It's only right that we give him the little bit of help that he needs. Vanya and him will be good friends, I know it,"_ responded Irunya.

 **If he didn't have a headache before he sure had a migrane now.**

Matthew slumped against Sylvia, who looked as tired as he felt. "What did he say frere?" she asked, rubbing an eye. Matthew swore under his breath, making the other two avian's brows raise. "Sheesh. I can tell where Artie's influence kicks in. Kid sure swears like a sailor," said Gilbert, leaning back. Sylvia sighs. She would have been scandalized if she hadn't heard Francis and Arthur go at it on an almost constant basis growing up.

"What did he say Matthew? And perhaps with less swearing so we can understand you better," she said, carefully running a hand through her hair. Gilbert ruffled her hair, grinning as she slapped his hand away. Matthew sighed. "S-Sorry but...maple! Alfred never thinks things through and it drives me nuts! He's always been a impuslive and a bit reckless but," he growled in frustration, "he could have gotten himself killed!"

"Out with it! What exactly did your brother do?" asked Gilbert, starting to get impaticent. Matthew huffed. "He did a jailbreak. He and Ivan's sisters are heading back to our old village. He's hoping to have the pendant removed before leaving the girls somewhere safe. He won't tell me what he plans on doing after that. How much you want to be that he's just going to fly back to the house so he could be the 'hero' and get my wings back all because he feels like he has to be the one who does it?" said Matthew, outraged.

Sylvia frowns. "Maybe we should look at the bright side here. We don't have to worry about Alfred losing his wings or being tortured by that horrible man. Maybe we get lucky and after he gets to the village, he's too weak to put himself in danger like that again. Or that the villagers convince him to stay a bit longer," she said. "Or even better, that by the time he gets all that figured out, that we already have your wings and Alecai is finally gone," said Gilbert.

Mattie sighed. "I hope you're right but...you guys don't know Alfred. He can be super stubborn. If he has his mind set on something, it'll take a miracle to keep him from trying to do it, no matter how much it puts him in danger or how bad off he is. This hero complex that he has going on is going to get him killed and I have no idea what I'm going to do if he gets killed. Besides finding away to hunt down his ghost and stranging it," he said.

Sylvia frowns. "Gilbert...keep an eye on him. I'll be back in a few seconds," she said, flapping her wings for a few seconds before frowning in remembrance and running to his room. Matthew had to catch himself when she suddenly left, leaving Gilbert to quickly put a hand on his shoulder. "Crap, Sylvia's low too… Are you alright? I should have given her energy before she helped you," he muttered.

Mattie nodded slightly. "Y-Yeah...Just stressed out and a bit exhausted. Don't worry about it," he asked, trying not to have to lean on Gilbert too much but doing a horrible job of keeping himself up. Gilbert narrowed crimson eyes on him, about to nag him about lying. "Why can't Sylvia fly?" asked Matthew quickly, before he could get an earful. Gilbert's face quickly fell, the normally easy going man looking sad.

"Her feathers still haven't grown in yet….She can still glide from higher places if she jumps and all that. I know it's driving her crazy. She's still a little jumpy from what had happened. That's part of the reason I decided to stay here...she'd be too worried about me and if I got hurt she'd come after me. She'd have thebutt of whoever decided to hurt me and my own for getting myself into danger," he chuckeled a little.

Sylvia came back with an armful of pillows and blankets, making Matthew jump when she seemed to suddenly appear at his elbow. Gilbert chuckled at Mattie's confused look. "Sylvia, what are you doing?" he asked, wondering if he was lucky enough to have two siblings that were nuts aside from the ones who raised him. "Making you comfortable. Move over for a second," she instructed in an no argument allowed kind of way.

She spread out the pillows and the blankets, making a nest of sorts. Gilbert pouted. "Why don't you ever make a nest for me?" he asked. Sylvia flicked his shoulder. "I would if you wouldn't insist on having a pillowfight every time I try," she said. Gilbert smirked. "I can't resist it Liebe just like I can't resist you," he said. Her cheeks turned a bit pink. "Fine, when we get home I'll make you one but no pillow fights," she mutters. He grinned.

She finished making Mattie a nest and forced him to rest in it, insisting that Matthew shouldn't try to contact Alfred to try to stay put in the village after the pendant is taken off. "Matthew, I'm sure if you two were as close to your village as you say, they'll try to convince him to stick around. I'm sure Alfred would hate it if he comes back to find you half dead or worse just because you strained yourself on his behalf," she said.

Matthew tried not to blush as he was pulled over to the nest and forced to rest. Gilbert chuckled. "I know you're worried about him but don't smother your brother. I'm sure Artie and Francy-Pants want him in one piece when they come back," he said. Sylvia rolled her eyes, before rubbing her right eye tiredly. "Don't worry mon chou. I just don't want him passing out on me or hurting himself," she said. Matthew sighed. "I'm sorry Syl...I shouldn't have used you for energy," he said, seeing how tired he is.

"You and Alfred are both my brothers. You need my help, I'm going to give it to you. Just promise me you're not going to overreach yourself by constantly checking in on him. I can see that he's reckless and a bit impuslive but...I know he isn't stupid. You two didn't come this far on pure luck. He won't throw himself in danger just because. He knows how worried you would be if he did that," she said.

Matthew forced a smile before groaning and running a hand through his hair. "I wonder how bad off Alfie is and how close the others are to the hosue," he said. Gilbert frowned. "That reminds me. If Alfred isn't there, one of us should probably let the others know not to storm the cellar of the house. They're going to have to come up with a new plan. Maybe we can have that team fly after Alfred and get them to a safe place," said Gilbert, sounding like he's picking apart the situation.

Sylvia nodded but sighed. "They were going to use the wings as a distraction so they can save him….but wait...what if the shaman doesn't know they're gone yet?" she asked. Gilbert's eyes lit up. "That gives me a great idea! If he hasn't figured it out yet, that means they can play it like they're really there for Alfred when they're really trying to get to the wings!" said Gilbert, kissing Sylvia on the cheek and running off.

Gilbert ran over to Tino. "Tino, tell the other Nordics to head to Alfred and Matthew's old village. Have them be ready to find Alfred and the girls and jump in if anything goes wrong. Alfred and Mattie might be sure that they won't be hurt by that shaman but it's good to have back up ready to spring to action if anything happens. Tell them to stay hidden until they know that Alfred and the girls are safe. I need to contact the others while you do that. Mathias, you stand 'guard' since Sylvia and Mattie are low on fuel and Tino and I will be occupied," instructed Gilbert.

Tino nodded and immediately sat down and got comfortable before dazing off into space. Mathias jumped up from his spot and grabbed his battle axe, rushing to the center of the ledge, alert for any threats or anything out of the ordinary. Sylvia watched them silently as Matthew started to doze off. She pulled a dagger out of her boot and leaned back, figuring that two sets of eyes keeping watch was better than none.


	22. Ch 22: In Lili's Ear and Out The Other

**It Happened Once In A Dream to Been There Done That, Eagle One had left the Nest (Parks and Rec Reference)**

Francis frowned when a slight tingle go through him as someone far away tried to make a connection with him. " _Francy-Pants we have a slight anomaly going on here. Alfred has made a prison break and is now trying to get to his village with Ivan's sisters in tow,"_ said Gilbert, deciding to skip greeting him. Francis's eyes widened. " _Is he alright? How do you know? Is it safe? Why did he leave?!"_ he asked, ignoring Arthur's look of concern directed toward him as his panic spiked.

" _Relax Froggy. He's fine. He thinks he found away to get the pendant off before it's too late. He's going back to his old village to ask the shaman there to remove it since he thinks it would take too long for the Kirklands to figure out a way to do it,"_ explained the Prussian. Francis shook his head. " _Non! He should have stayed put! What if his shaman is after his wings as well? It's too risky and we don't know how twisted Ivan's sister might be after all they went through!"_ he says.

" _I have the Nordic flock keeping tabs on them in case of anything. They're supposed to stay hidden until they know for sure that it's safe for Alfred and the girls to be there. Don't worry about it Francis. Matthew is safe and soon Alfred will be too. All we have to worry about after that is getting the wings and taking down this shaman before he can hurt anyone else. There will be a need for a change in plans but that can be easily handled,"_ said Gilbert.

" _What's the change in plans?"_ asked Francis. Gilbert sighed. " _Try to see if you can intersect Ivan on your way to the house. Have him figure out whether or not the shaman is suspicious. See if there's a way of doing finding that out first. If he isn't supicious, try to make it look like you're there to get Alfred and use that as a distraction to get to the wings and take him out. Also, you don't have to worry about any prisoners being harmed from what Alfred says. So no need to hold back,"_ said Gilbert.

" _You wish for us to work with Ivan?...I suppose we can do that if it's to end all of this. What do we do if he realizes that Alfred and the girls are gone?"_ asked Francis. Gilbert sighed. " _Two things. The best case scenario is that he treats it like the past escapes where he doesn't do anything crazy but tries to punish Ivan or try to capture someone else. In that scenario, we'd have Ivan on our side and we'd be able to catch the shaman off guard,"_ said the Prussian.

" _And the worse case scenario mon ami?"_ asked the Frenchman warily. " _The worst case scenario is that he finds out that Alfred is gone with the girls and that he either suspects that they're up to something or that there's a bigger plan going on. In that case, we can't be sure how he'd react or if he'd try to do something crazy. He'll become completely unpredictable...unless Ivan can give you guys an idea of what he might do,"_ said Gilbert.

Francis sighed. " _So at this point in time….Ivan may be our best bet on ending that man's reign of terror. How are we supposed to find him? What if we can't convince him that his sisters are safe or that he should help us? There's no telling what so many years of being used and threatened will do to him. He might not even be able to help us the way we need him too,"_ said Francis.

Gilbert rubbed his temples. " _Listen Francy-Pants, that's quitter talk. I'm sure Alfred and the girls wouldn't have left if he wasn't out doing some chore for the shaman. If you want, I can start up search parties for him. I'm just not sure how well he'd respond to a whole flock stopping him and trying to convince him to do something. We at least got to try. If not….we can regroup or try to think of a different idea,"_ he said.

Francis contemplated this before nodding. " _Oui. You're right. You scramble the troops. I'll inform the others. What do you want us to do until then?"_ he asked. " _Go on stand-by and await further information. If you want to keep going until you reached the area where the house is located, that's fine as long as you guys don't get discovered. Don't do anything drastic until I can give you a better idea of what's going on,"_ said Gilbert.

Francis affirmed this before opening his eyes and finding that all of his friends was staring at him in concern, especially Arthur. "What is it? Did something happen to Matthew? Don't tell me it was something that happened to the twins," he said, panicked. Francis shook his head. "Non mon ami. Just a...change in plans. It turns out that Alfred couldn't stay put much longer. He's headed to his old village in hopes of getting a friendly shaman to undo the pendant's magic before it gets too late," he said.

Emerald eyes narrowed in frustration. "So what do we do now? I'm sure you and Gilbert weren't connected all that time just for a friendly chat," he said. Francis nodded. "We have a new plan, but for it we need Ivan. We're going to use him to find out whether the shaman is supcious that we're coming and of Alfred's escape. If he is suspicious, Ivan could help us figure out how to go about the situation," he said.

Arthur clenched his eyes shut and ran a hand through messy hair. "And if he refuses to help? He isn't the most reliable ally in all of this. Alfred may think he's innocent in all of this but he's too naive and young to properly decide that. What if Ivan tries to trade all of us to get his wings back?" he said. Francis made a face at him. "How is he going to take down eight avians, four of them magic users, on his own?" he asked.

Arthur sighed. "Fine. We go with this plan but we have some safety measures put in place. Lets get to a clearing near the house, not too close however, and strategize," he said. Antonio frowned a little. "You really think this is a good idea, amigo? Even when he had his wings, Ivan was un poco loco…." he said. "Aye, I agree. Whose idea is all of this?" mumbled Allistair. Francis sighed. "It was Gilbert's plan. Do any of you have a better idea?" he asked.

The others went silent. "Well...If it's Gilbert's plan, it's gonna be a hard one to beat. I'm sure it's the best plan we got right about now unless you lot have been plotting without telling any of the rest of us about it," said Reiley. The rest muttered in agreement. "I think I have a few potions or spells we might be able to use in case something happens. And if this shaman has magic too….I want to do a little bit of research to figure out what kind and how powerful it might be," said Rhys. The rest grumbled in agreement and kept flying

 **Back at the flock's head quarters….**

Sylvia raised and eyebrow and gave her mate an impressed look as he dropped his cocky facade and took on a more commanding and serious disposition. Gilbert had immediately taken over and started contacting the other flocks to help start searching. Tino had helped, jumping in by contacting some flock called the Baltic Trio. Mathias and Sylvia were to keep watch, though Sylvia had contacted a few of her own friends to ask them to keep an eye out for Ivan.

On top of keeping an eye out for any possible hunters or, if Gilbert miscalculated, Ivan, Sylvia was keeping a close eye on her brother. Matthew was starting to look a bit pale and she could see dark rings of bruises under his eye, highlighting a couple of bags under his eyes as well. She frowned at him. "Matthew. We can take care of things from here. Alfie will be fine. Get some rest," she said. Gilbert nodded as well. "There isn't much you can really do or help us with right now Mattie," he muttered.

Matthew shook his head. "Non. What if something happens? Besides...according to the spell, I'll end up feeling sick no matter what. I'm fine. I don't even feel all that sick...just tired," said Matthew, trying to make it seem as if he was feeling better than he really was. In reality, he was a crumb away from getting sick and it was an uphill battle as it was to try to keep his eyes open or keep himself upright.

Sylvia sniffed. "Liar," she huffed. Matthew blinked and raised an eyebrow at his sister. "What?" he asked. "You're lying. And not very well. I'm guessing that Alfred was the one who did all the lying for the two of you growing up. Besides, you're not hiding how tired and stomach sick you feel. That, and we're bonded now Mathieu. I _know_ you're feeling awful. You're not really helping yourself by keeping it secret...or trying to at least," she said.

Matthew huffed. "You sound like Al. He's always teasing me for not being the best liar," he muttered. Gilbert opened his eyes from where he was sitting near the two, trying to contact his cousin Basch. "So on top of gaining two older brothers in addition to your twin, you gained an annoy younger sister," he said with a smirk. Sylvia made a face at her mate. "And an even more annoying brother in law," she retorted. Gilbert just chuckled and pulled her over so he could ruffle her hair, making her scowl.

Matthew found him smirking a bit as well despite himself. "So what's everyone status right now?" he asked quietly. Gilbert looked up from where he had Syliva pinned to his side, the two having gotten into a tickle fight the minute Gilbert ruffled her hair a second time. Sylvia used the time to wiggle out of the hold. Gilbert blinked before smirking at her and turning toward Matthew, stretching pale wings out so he could adjust a coupled feathers.

"Francis and the others have been made aware of the situation and will be finding a place to stop and set up a temporary base until we can find Ivan. Until then, we will keep trying to think of a back up plan for if Ivan doesn't show up or want to help us. While we're waiting for Ivan, they'll also try to come up with a plan for if Ivan ends up being unreliable or a possible traitor," said Gilbert.

Sylvia gave him a concerned look. "But mon chou...If our current plan is to work, the one where we pretend to go after Alfred, we'd need to do that at most within the hour. The shaman might find out Alfred is gone after for sure and if that happens, we may lose our element of surprise. He'd be more likely to go on guard after realizing Alfred, who has a flock and friends, was able to get away along with Ivan's sisters," she said.

Gilbert sighed. "We'll come up with a back up plan for if that happens. I'm sure Ivan would be able to help us with that if that' ends up happening," he said. Sylvia shook her head, frowning. "Non. You got to remember, Ivan's sisters were the only thing he had to keep Ivan in line. With them gone, he won't be able to trust Ivan, especially if he ends up getting paranoid or suspicious of him," said Sylvia.

Gilbert blinked and started swearing. "You're right. Okay, I'm going to tell the other flocks to take flight and actually actively search for him. Heck, maybe Tino and I should fly out and see if he's nearby," said Gilbert. Sylvia frowned. "Non. If anyone goes its Tino and Mathias. Your eyesight is terrible and I know you're still sore. That, and you are our main connection to the other flocks," she said.

Gilbert sighed before finally nodding. "Fine. I'll get ahold of everyone real quick," he said before sitting back down in the corner and concentrating. Sylvia and Matthew both sighed, leaning back agains the stone wall. Hopefully Ivan was found soon...before they ran out of time and out of rational ideas.

 **Shoot first and ask questions later territory**

Lili hummed as she skipped down to the clearing. She was so excited because her flowers were finally in bloom and she could bring a handful of the daisies to her brother to make flowerchains. " _Lili, be careful. Gilbert just called and said to keep an eye out on Ivan. The head of the old Russian flock? If you see him, run away and get me as soon as possible. Also, don't bring home another injured squirrel. We're running out of places to put the animals you rescue,"_ said her big brother Basch via their bond.

" _Yes Big Brother. Can I still bring home the daisies to make flower chains?_ " she asked. She could almost hear her brother's sigh. " _Yes but be sure you're back in time for brunch. I don't want you to eat your meal cold,"_ he huffed. She smiled. " _I will brother! I'll be sure to bring enough flowers so that we could both make daisy crowns!"_ she said. "... _Fine. But don't bring me the pink daisies,"_ he sighed.

Lilli sent him an affirmative before cutting off the bond, finally reaching her favorite clearing. For some reason, this clearing had the most variety in daisy colors, which she loved for when she was making daisy chains and crowns. Perhaps when she was done, she would even make a crown for Roderich as well. And of course, she had to make a nice red crown for Gilbert and a blue one for Ludwig for when they got back with their mission.

Having decided that she could make the other's crowns here and go back to the nest to make her and her brother's crowns, with Basch's help of course. Maybe, if she was out here too long to make all the crowns, she could convince Basch to help her make the others' as well. She'd have to show him how to do it, again, of course, but she was sure that he'd be willing to help her do so.

She started humming as she picked the daisies and got started on a bright yellow flower crown. It was when she was nearly done with the flower crown that Lili heard something in the nearby forest. Lili turned and spotted a man, who was trying to hide himself in a tree but was much too tall and intimidating to do so properly. He had a heavy coat on along with a scarf despite the warmer springtime weather.

The man was huddled up on a branch, taking a sip of some sort of flat metal can. She could vaguely remember this man. What was his name again? She thought back to where she may have met him but couldn't think of it. Lili set aside the crown and walked over to the man. "Gutentag. Are you lost sir?" she asked. The man jumped before looking down at her and smiling. "Nyet, I'm just resting. I've had a long walk," he said.

Lili's eyes widened as she finally remembered who he was before smiling back at him. "You're Mister Ivan, ja? Your sisters have been looking for you. Mein brother has more information but said there's a flock out looking for you to help you find them," she said nicely. Ivan's eyes widened and he jumped down from the tree, slipping the flask into his coat pocket. "Is that true friend? My sisters are free and safe?" he asked. She nodded.

"Can I please go talk to your brother? I'd like to see them as soon as possible," said Ivan nicely. Lili nodded, picking up the flower chain and the flowers she has picked so far. "What is that little one?" he asked, pointing at the bright crown of daisies. "A flower chain I was making for my flock. I wasn't sure who to make it for but I think you should have it. They would look nice with your eyes. Could you please bend down so I can put it on you?" she asked happily, holding up the flower crown.

Ivan smiled and got down a knee. His smile widened as the small girl put the crown on his head. "There. I think you look very nice with the crown on. I live up that way. Do you think you could fly that far? I know you said you were resting but it isn't too high up. Big Brother doesn't like it when I stray too far from our nest," said Lili. "Da. I think I can make it that far. Did you need help carrying these daisies with you?" he asked.

Basch was sitting on the front porch, cleaning his favorite gun when he heard his little sister happily chattering about flowers to someone. He sighed to himself. Didn't he tell her not to bring home anymore injured squirrels? He supposed that they could start storing the squirrels in Roderich's room...the only problem was that Elizaveta would probably get on his case for picking on Roderich again. Maybe he can convince Lili to sweet talk the Austrian into storing one or two of the squirrels in his room.

He didn't look up as he heard her walk up next to him. Funny. It sounded that she might have set whatever animal, and it must have been a big one, next to her. "Big Brother, we have a guest. Is it okay if I give him a few of our strudels for his trip?" she asked. Basch frowned and turned toward her, jumping when he spotted the Russian outlaw standing on his front porch next to his sister, arms full of various colors of daisies. On top of it all, he was wearing a yellow crown of daisies on his head, something Basch recognized as Lili's handiwork.

Basch could only just stare for a few seconds. To his luck, Ivan didn't notice. Ivan gave Lili a smile. "Where do you want me to put thse flowers little one?" he asked, bending down slightly so he could speak to Lili without towering over her. Lili smiles at him. "I can take those and put them in a kitchen while I get your strudel. Danke Ivan," she said before nearly skipping into the house, humming.

Now that Lili was safely out of the way, Basch jumped up, gun in hand. "You didn't hurt her, did you?" he growled. Ivan tilted her head. "Nyet. Lili is a very sweet girl. She said my sisters escaped. Is that true? I need to find them as soon as possible," said Ivan eagerly. Basch glared at the taller man. "Listen hear. This is my territory and that's my little sister. You hurt either one, and I'll blast you into next week. You understand?" he said.

Ivan grinned. "I like your style. I understand. Besides, your sister is much too sweet to want to hurt her. She makes very pretty flower crowns," said Ivan. Basch huffed but lowered the gun, still not trusting the man enough to set the gun on the table. "Alright. I suppose I can pass on the message. Your sisters are going to meet you in a village that way with a man who helped them escape. The man's flock, however, need your help to bring the shamen down for good," said Basch.

Ivan blinks. "Is that true? That is the good news! How can I help them? Are my sisters okay? You are not doing they lying are you?" he said, a strange aura starting to gather around him the more he spoke. Basch resisted the urge to flinch but was sure to stand his ground. "I'm not lying. I'm only telling you want I know. And as for your sisters, I don't know how well they are. But I assume that they are fine if they're able to fly to a village of humans and if you haven't felt anything through your bond," huffed Basch.

Lili walked in, holding up a wrapped bundle. "I took the liberty of making you a light meal for your trip. I thought you might be too worried about your sisters to want to stay and eat a dinner with you. I hope your sisters are okay," she said sweetly, holding the bundled up to Ivan. Ivan smiled and patted her head. "Thank you so much little one. This is a very sweet gesture. I will be sure to come back with some korzinki to thank you for your help," he said. Lili beamed and quickly adjusted his flower crown.

"I just hope you enjoy the strudels and the cakes I put in there. Would you be coming back to vist mein bruder and I?" she asked sweetly. Ivan smiled, ignoring Basch's glare. "Da, of course little one. I'm sure I can find someone who can inform you and your brother when I can come back," he said, petting her head. Basch was glaring daggers at the Russian, ready to shoot him if anything happens to Lili.

Lili smiled and gave the Russian a quick hug. "Have a safe trip," he said. Ivan pat the top of her head. "Do not be the worried. I will be back and we can have that tea party you spoke of. Perhaps my sisters would enjoy joining the two of us as well along with your brother," said Ivan. Lili smiled. "That sounds like fun," she said. Ivan nodded before walking off in the direction of the other flock.

 **Sorry for** **updating** **later than normal. My internet is crap and the fourth of July was a thing too. Anyways, hope you guys like Ivan's return to the plot, this time as a good guy for once!**


	23. Chapter 23: Goodbye Gaudy Jewelry

**It's good to be home….now can you please remove the bullet? Thanks**

Alfred was a mile out from the village when his wings started to feel heavier than normal. Heck, his whole body was feeling funny. He wasn't even aware that he was starting to lose altitude as he begain to struggle to flap hiw wings or keep them steady. Natalia frowned as she felt an extreme wave of exhaustion and turned to see him start to slowly sink. Alfred was fighting to keep his eyes open on top of it all. She quickly flew under him, struggling to keep him up on her own.

"Irunya!" she shouted. Irunya turned and blinked. "What are you doing Natalia?" she asked. "What does it look like I'm doing? Just help me keep him up," hissed Natalia. Irunya blinked and quickly flew below Alfred as well. "Alfred. Alfred, you're going to have to tuck your wings in. Irunya and I will fly you the rest of the way," said Natalia, huffing at how heavy the man was.

Alfred mumbled something, eyelids growing heavy. "Alfred, it's either that or we put you on a diet," snapped Natalia, struggling to properly flap her wings from underneath him. Alfred huffed and managed to pull in his wings with a bit of effort. "Irunya, hold him up for a few more seconds as I try to get a better hold of him," she said. Irunya made a face. "Fine but you may want to hurry up," she said.

Nat nodded before letting go and quickly moving so she could wrap an arm under his arms. Irunya huffed she had to support his whole weight for a split second. Once Natalia had a good enough grip to hold him up as Irunya moved to wrap an arm around his waist. Alfred laid his head on Nat's shoulder, ignoring the feathers that brushed against his cheek as she flew. Irunya smirked. "I wonder what drained him so suddenly?" she asked her sister.

Nat sighed. "I guess communicating with his brother and his flock are finally hitting him," she replied. Irunya glanced at him, looking a bit worried. "Do you think he will be able to make it to the village?" she asked. Natalia flicked Alfred's nose, getting a yelp out of him followed quickly by a glare. "What?" came his groggy reply to the flicking. "We need you to stay awake. You're supposed to keep us from going in the wrong direction or getting lost," she said.

Alfred huffed. "Fine...It's more westward than this," he said. Natalia and Irunya quickly adjusted their course. Alfred looked up and smiled slightly. "There it is. See the buildings over there?" he asked. Natalia squinted and spoted some low lying cottages in the valley. "Da, I see them. Where in that village should we land?" she asked. Alfred mumlbed something, setting his head back down.

Irunya frowned. "Let's try that bigger hut in the middle. That's got to be the elder's home. If not, they should be able to help us find him," she said. Natalia nodded, frowning slightly as well. "Da. That sounds like a good idea. Just be careful of any humans we come face to face with. They may be friends of Alfred but they are not ours. With him incapacitated like this, they might try to take advantage of us or hurt us," she said.

Alfred frowned and mumbled, "You worry too much. I won't let them do anything to you." Natalia smirked, seeing as how he wasn't even able to hold his head up now. "Is that so? And how will you manage to do that?" she asked him. "I'm the hero...I'll find a way," he retorts weakly. Irunya chuckled. "Natalia, how have you managed to get such a brave man to protect us?" she teased. Alfred made a face and Natalia glared daggers at her, knowing her sister was implying more than Alfred was understanding.

"Land at the hut… and watch your feathers. The local kids like to pull at wings," muttered Alfred. Irunya looked mortified by the thought while Natalia scowled. "We're going to land here soon. Alfred, be ready to try to catch yourself," muttered Natalia as they started to fly over the village. Soon the trio landed in front of the hut, stumbling a little as they did so. Natalia ignored the looks and half muffled whispers of the villagers as they watched the three of them come in.

"Alfred?!" came a woman's cry. The crowd parted and an older lady came rushing forward. She ignored the girls and brushed Alfred's bangs out of his eyes. "What's wrong with you? Where's your brother?!" she asked. Alfred managed a grin. "Don't worry Abbie. I'm fine. I just really need to see Shaman Greg asap," he said. Abigail turned to look over the girls, eyes widening when she realized they also had wings.

"T-There's more of you? Matthew was right?!" she asked. "Da, Alfred is not the only one but right now we need to see your shaman," said Natalia, not caring for the woman's gawking. "H-He should be inside. I'll take you to him," said Abigail, turning to open the door. " _Irunya, you let him lean against you. I'm going to cover you two in case anyone here gets any stupid ideas,"_ said Natalia, eyeing the growing crowd.

They walked into the hut, Natalia keeping her arms crossed so she could finger the knives she had smuggled from Alecai and hid in her sleeves. They were brought into a sitting area that smelled faintly of incense and perfumes. "Do you need me to run and get you any food or something to drink?" asked Abigail, wringing her hands. Alfred gave her a smile. "We'll get some after Greg comes by. Don't worry Abbie. I'll talk to you when we're done here okay?" he asked, ignoring the glare Nat was giving him.

Abigail nodded, hesitating before leaving. Just as she was leaving, an older man holding a staff came in. His eyes widened when he saw Alfred with two avians. "H-How…?" He looked Alfred over and froze when he spotted the pendant hanging from around his neck. "Oh no...Alecai...He finally figured out the spell. How long have you had that on you?" he asked, rushing over to Alfred and squatting down to get a better look at the pendant.

"A day or two. I can't remember. It's bad enough that I'm close to passing out, to be honest," said Alfred. Greg frowned. It had to be bad if Alfred, who always laughed off a broken bone after jumping off the roof of his cottage, was actually admitting how bad he felt. Greg glanced at the two females with wings with him, trying to think as he did so. After a few seconds, he stood up.

"I can fix this but there are a few ingredients that I need to gather. It may take some time though….and I'm not sure how much more time before it starts to badly affect you. I'm surprise you have held out so well this long Alfred.," said Greg, trying to lighten the mood towards the end. "If one of us help you gather the ingredients, do you think you can make it faster? We'll both be willing to help," said Irunya.

Natalia shook her head. "Someone needs to keep an eye on Alfred Irunya. You stay here and call me or the shaman if anything happens. I'll help him get the ingredients," she said. Natalia stood up. "What do you need me to get and where do I get it at?" she said. Greg was already up and moving, running to the attached kitchen and looking through the cabinets, writing a list as he did so.

Within a few minutes, he had a list of objects written up. He tore the list in half and handed her half. "Don't worry about payment. If anyone asks, just tell them that you're doing this upon my request. If anyone gives you trouble, just find me, okay?" he said. Natalia gave him an unimpressed look as she took the list and walked out. If anyone gave her problems, she'd probably just steal what she needed and go.

Natalia headed into the village's market place, ignoring the looks her uncovered wings were attracting. She was just happy that the look she had on her face was enough to get any rubber neckers to mostly mind their own business. Sure there were a few glances after that but no one dared try to approach her, ask her questions, or outright stare. Now Natalia remembered why she didn't deal with humans. They were too nosy.

She got the first two items she needed from a nearby booth without any problem before she felt a hand brush against her wing, trying to grab a loose feather. Natalia spun around and grabbed a ten year old boy's wrist before he could dart away. The whole market area froze. "And just what do you think you were doing?" she asked. "I-I…just wanted to touch them," said the child, starting to shake under Natalia's glare.

"Oh? Is that so? Did I give you permission to touch them?" she asked. The boy shook his head. "Did I give you permission to touch me?" Again, another shaking of the head. "Did I give any indication that I would have wanted you to do so?" she asked, eyes narrowing. The boy shrunk back. "Answer the question," Natalia said in a cold voice. The boy shook his head, looking a bit pale.

"Then there was no reason for you to touch me, much less try to pull one of my feathers out. If I catch you doing it to me, or anyone else, you're losing that hand," she growled. The boy teared up, frozen with fear. A man, presumeably the boy's father, stepped out of the crowd. "Hey, you've made your point. No need to make the kid cry," he said.

She leveled an icy look at the man. "Obviously I haven't. Wings are extremely sensitive things. It hurts when you pull feathers out of them. Not only are they sensitive, but it's an incredibly intimate thing to touch another's wings. That's something reserved for family, mates, or extremely close friends. Not for little grabby little brats that think it's okay to touch someone without permission," she said.

The man swallowed and backed up. "Junior, appologize to the young lady. If what she's saying is true you crossed a major line," he said. "B-But Alfred let me do it…." he said. "Only because he didn't want to start a fight with dad over it," piped up a little girl in a pink dress standing behind their father. The boy started to protest once more and Natalia bent down to look at him in the eye. "I'm not Alfred. He's nice. I'm not."

The boy tried not to whimper, failing under the icy glare, but finally looked down in shame. "S-Sorry Miss. I won't do it again. I swear it. I'm sorry. I really am," he said. Natalia huffed and dropped his wing. "Good. Now go run along and play. I have business to do," she said, turning and walking away from the crowd to a different booth. Nat walks up to the stunned looking booth keeper.

"The shaman needs three powdered turquiose stones. He also needed any tar you might have," she said. The man nodded and quickly gave her the items she required. "Where can I find rosemary?" she asked. The man directed her to a different booth. "That one, but becareful with him. He was never too fond of Alfred and I'm sure he'll be happy to give you a hard time, especially after that scene that kid made," he said.

"Thank you. I'm sure I can handle it," she said, taking her items and going to the booth the man had indicated. Almost immediately, the vender made a face when he saw her. "I'm sorry, I don't sell anything to your kind. The other freak could have told you that," sneered the keeper. She gave him an unimpressed look. "The shaman is the one who needs it. Not me. You'd be serving him instead," she said.

"I'm not serving him if he sent you as a representative. And how do I know you're not just saying that in hopes of getting my herbs for free?" he asked, glaring at her. She glared back, right hand neatly sweeping the needed amount of rosemary into the small bag a vender had given her to hold her goods. The man didn't notice, considering that she had given him a glare, a dark aura almost visibly surrounding her.

"I see. Well I suppose I should take my business to a booth who doesn't sell shriveled up herbs at twice the price they're worth. Have a nice day," she said in a flat voice before turning and getting away with her stolen good. She finished gathering the ingredients that Greg needed and walked back to the hut calmly, happy that her message has gotten through clear enough that no one tried to touch her or stare at her.

When she got back to the hut, she let herself in and found Alfred, eyes closed, resting his head on Irunya's shoulder. Natalia frowned and put the bag on the coffee table before sitting down next to Alfred. Alfred cracked open an eye and smiled slightly when she sat down next to him. "You already got all the ingredients?" he asked. Natalia nodded. "Wow. That was fast. No one gave you any trouble did they?" he asked, sounding slightly concerned.

"Nothing I couldn't handle. Don't worry about it. I was able to get the things you need. Hopefully, Greg gets here soon. How bad off are you?" she asked. "He was starting to have trouble keeping his eyes open before you came in," said Irunya. Alfred made a face. "I'm fine. I just got a little sleepy but I'm fine! Look, I don't even need to lean on you," he said, sitting up. Five seconds later his body lightly shook from the effort. Nat sighed and quickly forced his head down onto her shoulder.

"It doesn't prove much when your entire body is shaking from tryng to keep yourself upright. Alfred, we didn't mind needing your help escaping. Don't mind our help when trying to get that stupid necklace off of you," she said. Alfred's ears turned a bit red. "F-Fine...But that kinda hurts my Hero complex," he admitted. Natalia rolled her eyes. "Being a little sleepy because of a pendant doesn't hurt your Heroic appearance. If anything it gives you a tragic backstory to make you seem more mightier," she said.

Alfred grinned. "I knew I liked you for a good reason," he said. She just rolled her eyes with a bit of a smirk. "Go back to sleep. Get what rest you can while you can. We'll wake you up when Greg gets back, okay?" she said. Alfred nodded and let his eyes close. Within seconds, he was snoring away on Nat's shoulder, invoking a roll of the eyes from said shoulder's owner.

Irunya smiled at her sister. "You two really suit each other. And you already share a bond," she said, with a a suggestive smile. Natalia gave her sister a dirty look. "What is that supposed to mean?" she asked. "I just think you two would be very cute together," said Irunya slightly. Natalia glared at her sister. "Butt out. We are on the run from an evil human that had us trapped in his basement for decades. Me finding a boyfriend is the least of our problems right now," said Natalia.

Irunya smirks. "I don't know. It would be nice for to be able to get to catch up on the time we lost when we were being held captive by that creep. "Irunya, you know I love you but drop the subject," said Nat with a huff. Irunya smirked. "Fine. I will...for now," she said. Natalia sighed, knowing that her sister wasn't going to drop the subject unless something major actually happened. She just hoped that her brother doesn't follow the same train of thoubht because would be a same for Aflred to die after all of this.

Greg entered a few minutes later, holding a fabric bag identical to Natalia's. "Good you have the stuff. It should take about a twenty minutes for me to get this mixed up. Just keep an eye on his breathing rate and anything he might say in his sleep. Abigail and John liked to joke about how he used to mutter in his sleep," he said, pulling out an oddly shaped stone bowl and placing it on the coffee table.

Greg started taking ingredients out of the bags and mumbled various incantations under his breath as he added them to the bowl one at a time. When he was done, a shimering purplish liquid oil was in the bowl. He muttered one last spell before picking the bowl up and grabbing a matching cup off of the shelf. He nodded at the girls. "I need you two to hold him up. He doesn't have to wake up for this but I do need you two to keep him steady," he said.

Irunya and Natalia nodded and helped him sit upright. Alfred's eyes flickered but he didn't wake up. "Okay, we got him sitting up. What now?" asked Natalia. "Keep hims teady. I'm going to perform the spell. Hopefully this works," muttered Greg, scooping up some of the liquid witht he cup and holding the bowl below the pendant. He poured the potion over pendant and started chanting.

As Greg chanted, the pendant started glowing. Alfred stirred slightly. "What….?" he asked groggily. "Shh. Greg's doing the spell. Just don't move too much okay?" whispered Irunya. Alfred nodded and held still. He slowly relaxed when he felt the pendant slowly release it's grip on his chest. "It feels like it's working," he muttered. Natalia and Irunya smiled. "Good. Hopefully it'll come off soon," she said.

After a few more seconds, the pendant finally dangled from the chest. Greg quickly took a pair of tongs and used to take the pendant away from Alfred and nodded to Irunya. "Could you twist the knob to that lantern there?" he asked. Irunya nodded and got up to do so. He quickly threw the pendant into the fire and closed the lantern. "Once this pendant is completely burnt, the effects should be fully reversed," said Greg.

Alfred gave him a tired grin. "Thanks Greg. I know you could do it," he said. Greg smiled back. "Well I'm glad you had the sense to bring yourself back here. This could have ended badly if you waited any longer. Now get some sleep. There's not much you can do until the pendant is completely destroyed. We can talk about how all of this happened when you wake up," said Greg.

Alfred nodded and the girls got up so he could lay down on the couch. Within seconds, Alfred was practically passed out on the couch. Greg turned to the girls. "You two are welcomed to stay and get some rest as well. There's food in the kitchen if you need it, so don't be afraid to help yourselves. Any friend of Alfred's is a friend of mine. He's a good kid...even if he's a few decades older than me," said Greg.

Irunya smiled brightly. "Thank you! It's very kind of you to offer and we appreciate you helping us. We were really worried about Alfred. He wasn't looking very good but I'm glad you managed to undo the damage the other guy did," she said. "Yeah, what's up with Alecai? If he didn't have our brother in his clutches I would have killed him or something," said Natalia. Greg sighed. "It's a long story, one that I prefer to tell when Alfred's awake so I won't have to tell it twice," he said slowly.

Natalia raised an eyebrow and Greg gave in slightly. "He has been power hungry ever since he became shaman of his own village. He kept wanting more and more power, for what, I don't know. That's all I'll say until Alfred wakes up. The reason we ended up having him banned from his town was because of the experiments he was doing on people. The stuff he was doing to his own villagers….they'd haunt your nightmares," he said finally.

The girls turned to look at each other before looking at him. Greg gave another sigh. "I have to do my rounds to a few houses with sick kids. If you need me, just ask any kid passing by the door to come and get me. I give them candy whenever they act as messenger so you shouldn't have any problems trying to get them to help you out.

"Someone needs to keep an eye on that lantern to make sure it doesn't go out before the pendant is completely burnt out. Other than that, feel free to make yourselves at home. Just don't touch that shelf of ingredients there. Also...if anything smells strange or starts glowing it's best to stay away from that too. I'm pretty sure I have all magicall items and ingredients cleaned up and put away but I may have missed a few things. Once again, if you need me let me know. I should be back in an hour or two," said Greg.

Both girls nodded. "Don't worry. We won't touch anything we don't know about," said Natalia. Greg nodded and left, taking a bag of ingredients and materials with them. The girls looked at each other once he left. "We're going to snoop through his things, aren't we?" asked Irunya. Natalia smirked. "Da. Of course we are. I want to be absolutely certain that we trust this man," she said. Irunya sighed but didn't protest.

 **We're getting towards the end, or at least we're getting close to realizing what Alecai's real end game is. And to add to the tension, unintentionally but it's sure as hell convenient I won't be posting for the next couple of weeks as I will be on vacation. The next update might not be till August. Sit tight kiddies. Maybe we all get lucky and I find some wifi spots to update from.**


	24. Chapter 24: Arthur's Hearing Things

**Do you hear that disembodied voice or is it just me?**

Arthur, Francis, and the other avians flew silently, not in the mood to talk after the news of Alfred's little escape spread among them. "Well, at least there is no doubt that he's of Kirkland blood. The boy is as stubborn as a bull," said Reiley, wanting to break the silence. Alistair chuckled. "Aye. Remember that time we had to tie Arthur to a tree to keep him from going hunting with us? The little bugger thought he was big enough to carry a bow, much less carry a full grown rabbit with him back to our nest," he said.

Arthur's face turned bright pink. "Only you would find the memory of tying me to a tree as something sentimentally nostalgic," he said. Rhys smirked. "You're right. Remember that mint green bunny toy you made him Allistair? He insisted that the bunny have wings too," he said. Alistair grinned. "Aye. He said he wouldn't be able to play with the bunny if it couldn't fly too. I remember he gave it a ridiculous name," he said.

"Flying Mint Bunny. He called it Minty for short. Lad wasn't the most clever when he was so wee," said reiley. All three of the older Kirkland brothers was smiling sentimentally. Arthur was turning red, looking like he was contemplating letting himself drop like a stone to avoid the embarrassment. Francis was chuckling, as was Antonio. "Aw, que precioso. I didn't think the pirata would have been so cute as a niño," said Antonio.

Arthur was now bright red. "Sh-Shut up! That was centuries ago," he grumbled. "I remember that. He used to talk to that bunny all the time when he thought I couldnt' hear him," said Francis. Arthur spotted a speck headed toward them from below. "Oi, what's that over there?" he asked. "Don't try to change the subject. Did you really thing we're such ninnies that we'd fall for that?" asked Alistair.

Arthur scowled at his brother. "I'm not making it up. There's really something over there!" he said. "Right….because that's something someone who is trying to change the subject or distract us wouldn't say," said Reiley sarcastically. Arthur facepalmed. "It's also someone who is actually paying attention to his surroundings would say if he spotted a speck below us," he said, pointing at the speck.

No one bothered looking where he pointed. "Right Arthur. I would have thought that after all this time you would have learned to be a better liar," said Rhys. Arthur groaned. "There really is something there! Believe me!" he said. Antonio frowned. "Last time you said that you sunk one of my ships when I had my back turned," said Antonio. "Only you are stupid enough to fall for that trick Antoino. But I'm not lying this time!" he said.

"There really is something there! I'm not lying!" said Arthur, grumbling and turning away as he led them closer to the ground. "You're a ruddy bum liar. There's no one there," said Alistair. "I'm sure one of us would have noticed if there was a giant ufo coming at us!" said Reiley, turning and letting out a manly squeal when he found a certain Russian running close behind them, now that they were a mere few feet off the ground. "What you squealing about back there you twit?" asked Alistair, not even turning to see why his brother was making such masculine noises.

"That's not very nice to say to your brother. But I suppose it's different to have brothers instead of sisters," mused Ivan, making everyone drop a foot before they remembered how to flap their wings. "I-Ivan?" asked Francis, staring at the man with disbelief in his eyes. "I TOLD YOU I SAW SOMETHING!" exclaimed Arthur. "...I suppose that means I'll have to go back to believing him when he says to turn around and look at something…" trailed Antonio, looking a bit disappointed.

"A little birdie told me that you guys helped free my sisters and are going to go punish Alecai. I would like to come with and help bash that man's head in with a pipe," said Ivan with an innocent smile, a metal pipe in his hand. A few of them couldn't hold back a shudder. Arthur flew a step forward. "Yes. We actually would really appreciate your help in doing that. We don't know Alecai's tendencies and we have a very small window in terms of using the element of a surprise."

The Russian nodded. "So you want me to tell you everything I know about him da? In a short amount of time. I can do that as we fly to his house. There's a hidden clearing near there he wouldn't think of looking for anyone in. Just tell me what you need and I would be happy to assist you," said Ivan, smiling. Allistair nodded. "Good. We need all the help you could give us," he said.

"What would you like me to do first?" asked Ivan. "We need to know what kind of magic he's capable of, whether it is likely he has checked the basement for prisoners in the past hour, how he'll react to them being missing if has found out. We also need the locaction of a set of wings that were taken from a fledgling a few decades ago," said Arthur, landing in front of Ivan.

Ivan tilted his head, which still had a scar from being shot at. "A fledgling you say? I've only had to go after one set of fledglings before. A pair of twins," he said. Arthur balled his fists up. "Yes. My pair of fledglings," he said through clenched teeth. Francis quickly stepped forward. "But we're willing to look past that in order to work with you to end Alecai's reign of terror. Our priority is making sure he can't hurt anyone again, but we want the wings as well if possible," said Francis.

Ivan nodded. "And I am willing to look past Arthur shooting me in order to make sure Alecai can't go after my sisters and I ever again," he said. Arthur winced. "Sorry about that old chap. I thought you were going to hurt Alfred again. I couldn't risk that," he said. "I was going to but if Alecai is gone I will no longer have to do the hurting anymore. Why do you want the wings back?" he said.

Arthur frowned. "Listen, the fledling you hurt is the brother of the one that freed your sisters. He doesn't remember having wings before. We're trying to help him move on by showing him his wings in hopes that he can learn to let them go," said Arthur. " _That's a bit harsh mon lapin. We have the ability to give him his wings back. Shouldn't we offer him the same opportunity we gave Matthew?"_ asked Francis.

" _That bloody fool is the reason we have to do the spell for Matthew in the first place. He's the reason any of this happened. No. I won't offer him. Besides, he seems to be the type of person who if offered something that, even if it wasn't a for sure thing, he'd insure that the other sticks to their word. He's not above threatening people. He's not above hurting others. I don't want to risk it if we're unsucessful or unable to help him,"_ said Arthur.

" _I suppose you're right. I don't really want him intruding on our lives after we finally get rid of Alecai. Good thinking,"_ said Francis. Ivan smiled. "I would be happy to help you in doing that. He keeps the wings in his living room. They will be the easy to obtain. What is your plan?" he said. Arthur nodded. "That would be brilliant if we could. Our plan now that you're here is to send you in as a spy of sorts. You can go in, see if Alecai has found out that the prisoners have escaped, and let us know if he does.

"If he found out, we need to know how bad his reaction is and have you keep him distracted while we sneak in in attempts to try to ambush him. If he hasn't find out that they have left, you are to give us a signal and keep him unsuspecting of the others being gone. While he has his guard down is when we storm the house and try to take him out. It is important that he doesn't know about our plan, us, or the fact that he lost his prisoners," said Arthur.

Ivan nodded. "I can do that. Do you know where my sisters are at now?" he asked. "Alfred, the man that you took during the fight against Gilbert and Mathias, is taking them to a nearby village for help. They'll be safe. It was the village your sister dropped him and his twins at after you stole his brother's wings. No one will hurt them there and they're currently trying to find help in the form of another shaman to take off a tailsman that Alecai put on Alfred," said Arthur.

Ivan nodded. "Alright, then lets go to the house. I want to take him down as soon as the possible. I'll lead you to the clearing. How should I signal you?" asked Ivan. Arthur frowned before glancing at his brothers. "Allistair, I need the red potion you created and the green one you gave reiley," he said. Both brothers nodded and handed him the two vials. Arthur mixed the two potions, muttering an incantation under his breath.

When he was done, he turned and gave Ivan the mixture. "Use this to signal us. It'll release a small spark that will seek us out inconspicuously. It'll only have one charge so use it wisely. When it's time for us to come, pull the plunge of the vial out. Is that clear?" he asked. Ivan took it and nodded, tucking it into the folds of his scarf. "That is the clear. Let us move now before it gets too late. We still have quite the walk if we want to get there soon," he said.

"..." Arthur looked at his companions and they all exchanged a releuctant look. Arthur turned back to Ivan. "I suppose we can carry you if you're alright with that," he said. Ivan smiled. "That would be alright right with me. Let's get going then," he said. Francis, Antonio, and Allistair stepped forward to carry him. Within a few minutes, all of them were back in the sky, though the trio carrying Ivan seemed a bit red-faced from the effort.

After ten minutes, Ivan had directed them to a clearing within spitting distance of the boundry of the forcefield surrounding the house. Francis, Antonio, and Alistair happily dumped him in the clearing. Ivan simply stretched once they landed. "I will make my way back to the house. You guys stay hidden until the signal. It will be only a few of the minutes," said Ivan before wandering out of the clearing.

"...You really think we can trust that bloke?" asked Reiley. "Not one bit," said Rhys. "The bloody hell is that lad eating, cement?" muttered Allistair as he rubbed his now sore wings and arms. "You're telling me amigo. My poor wings are so tired now. I could use a siesta," mumbled Antonio, sitting down against a tree. "Now I doubt his diet consists of cement. More than likely it was just small boulders," said Francis, sitting next to his Spanish friend. Alistair snorted.

 **Is coughing up blood bad? If so...we might need to call a doctor.**

Sylvia paced back and forth in the ledge area, earning her an amused smirk from Gilbert. "Liebe, I'm sure they'll be fine. You keep pacing like that and you'll earn a lecture from Big Brows for wearing a moat into his floor," he said. Mathias chuckled at that. "You can't tell me you're not at least a little bit worried about this? Not only them but also about Matthew. He's getting worse pretty fast," she said. Tino had to take Matthew to the river to get washed after Matthew vomited on himself.

Gilbert frowned a little at that. "I know...And you're exhausting yourself by constantly giving him energy. If you're not careful you'll make yourself sick too," he said. Sylvia sighed. "I know Gil...but what else can I do? I can't fight or anything being flightless and all. I can't even fly to Alfred's village to make it easier for us to communicate. I don't like seeing Matthew so sick. It was the only thing I could actually do to help in this stupid situation," she said, frustrated.

Gilbert sighed and got up from where he was seated cross legged and wrapped his arms and wings around her. "Liebe, you worry too much. It'll turn out alright," he said. Sylvia lightly nuzzled him. "I hope you're right...you do tend to be a more optimistic than I am," she said. He grinned and held her closer. "That's because I'm too awesome to let anything get me down," he exclaimed. "You mean too cocky," she huffs.

Gilbert gasps, slightly offended. Mathais cracks up. "She's got you figured out," he chuckled. Gilbert glared at Mathias. "Well...You're unawesome," he said. Mathias gave a gasp of offense. Sylvia rolled her eyes and wiggled her way out of Gilbert's grasp when she spotted Tino helping Matthew climb back up to the ledge. Sylvia ran over to them and helped him bring her pink-faced brother up the incline.

"Thank you for helping clean up Tino. Gilbert and Mathias wouldn't let him hear the end of it," she whispered to Tino. Tino smiled brightly. "It's fine Sylvie. I help Norway patch our flock up when they get sick or all beat up. And I wouldn't unleash Mathias or Gilbert on someone in his state. Not when the situation is already bad enough," whispered Tino. Matthew groaned. "You two realized both of your heads are right by my ears right?" he said.

"Sorry," squeaked both Tino and Syl. Gilbert chuckled once they got onto the main gathering space. "Well he lives to see another day," he smirked. Matthew's ears turned red as well, wishing he could be invisible. Sylvia glared at Gilbert. "What did I say about teasing him?" she asked. Gilbert made a face and looked away. Mathias smirked. "Aw c'mon Gilbert. I want to hear what she said," he teased.

Gilbert scowled at his friend. "Nunya business," he said. "Well I did ask mon chou," Sylvia said sweetly as she helped Tino get Matthew settled back into his makeshift nest. Gilbert glanced at her before looking at his feet. "That if I make fun of your brothers, you won't cuddle with me for a week," he mumbled. Mathias started cracking up, laughing. Tino and Matthew chuckled as well, doing their best to hide it.

"Hush Matthias. It's not like you have anyone cuddling you," retorted Gilbert, face pink in embarrassment. Matthias blinked. "Low blow man. I could have someone cuddle me if I wanted to," he huffed. Tino laughed. Gilbert smirked and walked over to Matthew. "You feeling any bit better now?" he asked. Matthew nodded, pushing his wet bangs out of his eyes. "Oui… but I don't think I could hold anything down if I wanted to. My stomach is way too upset," he said quietly.

Sylvia sighed. "I'll go make you something lighter then. Maybe some broth or some of Arthur's special tea. You need to keep up your strength. Is the headache any better?" she asked. Matthew blinked. He hadn't even told her about that. "No….Could you get me something for that as well? I don't want to be a bother…" he said hesitantly. Sylvia rolled her eyes before gently ruffling her brother's hair. "I'll be back with the stuff you need."

He made a face at her as she left. Gilbert smirked. "Something wrong there kid?" he asked. "Nothing. Just that it looks like I got an annoying older sister on top of an annoying younger brother," he muttered. Gilbert chuckled. "She's only annoying when she's worried. You should see it when I get sick or something. She tends to become a bit of a mother hen. What's your brother like?" asked Gilbert.

"A lot more energetic and obnoxious. He's always getting us into trouble," said Matthew with a small quirk of the lips. Sylvia came back and set a bowl of soup in front of Matthew. "Is that so? I guess that exlains why he decided to make a jailbreak instead of sitting around and waiting for us," she said. Matthew rolled his eyes. "I'm surprised he waited so long to escape to be honest. He can't sit still longer than five minutes," said Matthew.

Sylvia sighed. "I just hope that he is alright…" she said. Matthew smiled a little. "...I think so. ...It's a lot easier to feel him now. He's sleeping right now. I think they finally got the pendant off of him," he said. Mathias grinned. "That's great! I'll tell Lucas and have him pass a message along to Arthur," he said, concentrating real quick. Gilbert grinned. "This is great. Alecai can't use him as leverage," said Gilbert.

Mathias nodded. "I'll make sure they know. That way he can't pretend to detonate the pendant or something," he said before concentrating again. Gilbert nodded. "Find out if Ivan is finally with them. If he is, this turns the field to our favor. We can bring this guy down," he said with a mischevious grin. Sylvia smirked, her wings fluttering a bit with excitement. Matthew frowned as he noticed a chunk in her wing where a section of feathers were missing.

Gilbert frowned slightly when he noticed where Matthew staring before wrapping an arm around Sylvia. Mathias grinned, opening his eyes. "Don't worry guys. I got ahold of Lucas. He's going to let Artie know. According to him, it sounds like Arthur has convinced Ivan to work with us," he said. Sylvia jumped up. "I'll go see if I can convince Pierre to bring a message to Alfred. Someone needs to tell him to stay put," she said, racing out of the room.

Gilbert let out a sigh and turned to Matthew. "You can't just openly stare like that. You're lucky she didn't notice," he said. Matthew blinked. "Oh, um, sorry…" he said, watching as Gilbert got up to go look for Sylvia. Mattie turned to Mathias. "...He does realize what happened back at your place right?" he asked. Mathias smirked. "Gilbert can be kind of a jerk, but he's got a soft spot for that girl," he said.

Tino smiled as well. "That and he doesn't really think before he opens his mouth," he said. Matthew nodded and slowly started eating his soup, Tino getting up and coming back with some bread. Sylvia came back and walked over to the boundry, releasing Piere before walking back to her seat. "What do you think we're going to do about Ivan's sisters? They didn't really do anything wrong…" she said.

Gilbert shrugged. "I'm sure they're going to want to go back to their brother's nest. They must have been a close bunch if Alecai was able to use the girls as a way to keep Ivan from leaving him. I doubt that after everything they went through they'd want to separate," he said. "...But what about the rumors of him hurting his sisters? What if they were true? If they were, I couldn't leave them to just go back and suffer under him in good conscience," she said.

Tino frowned. "She does have a point….But I'm sure if that's how it turns out, they might have an idea of what they would rather do. If not, I'm sure we could find a flock they could stay with until they figure out what they want to do. She does have a point," he said. Mathias nodded. "That and even if they wanted to stay with Ivan, it'd be a lot harder for that to happen. He was the head of their flock but now he doesn't even have wings to hunt with," he said.

 **Sorry I haven't posted for so** **long. I went on a road trip so I didn't have internet connection for a while. But I'm back now! Let me know what you guys think! I have a plot twist coming up and will be introducing some more characters.**


	25. Chapter 25: Alecai Takes What Isn't His

**In this corner, we have several feathery foes working together. In this corner, we have a crazy evil mastermind who has magic. Wheee**

Arthur paced back and forth in the clearing, things growing more and more tense every minute that they wait for Ivan's signal. "Arthur, it's only been five minutes," reminded Francis. Reiley chuckled. "Now we know where Alfred gets his impatience," he said. Rhys rolled his eyes. "I don't think you or Alistair have any place to speak in that regard," he said. All three of his brothers glared at him.

"Well, I do see Arthur's reason for impatience. It is muy importante that we move as soon as possible so we can finally bring this man to justice," said Antonio. "Bloody Hell is he the only one who gets it? It's been over an hour since Alfred has escaped. I don't want to wait any longer," grumbled Arthur. "I'm sure Ivan is still making his way to the house He's not able to fly so that makes him a bit slower," said Francis.

Arthur nodded and leaned back against a tree. "I'm sure you're right...I just hope that-" He trailed off and started staring into space. Francis blinked and waved a hand in front of Arthur's face, which was promptly slapped away. Arthur glared at Francis. "Do you mind? Lucas is trying to pass along a message from Mathias. Now let me try to figure out what it is he's trying to do," he said. Francis made a face but nodded.

" _Mathias said that Matthew said the pendant has been removed from Alfred. Matthew can now better feel Alfred's presence and says he's sleeping somewhere safe. I'm sure you can feel it as well if you tried. Gilbert told Mathias that means that Alecai cannot use Alfred as leverage any longer,"_ said Lucas. Arthur let out a sigh of relief. " _That's brilliant news Lucas. Thank you for passing it along. How close are you two to the village?"_ Arthur asked.

" _About twenty minutes. We'll be there soon, don't worry. Emil was supposed to stay at home but decided to sneak out after us so he's going to be with us. I hope Alfred is right about the village being friendly,"_ said Luas. " _I'm sure he is correct about that. They did remove the pendant from Alfred afterall. But just in case, you have disguises or something to hide your wings, correct?"_ asked Arthur.

" _Yes. Berwald has a fur cape from his Viking days on. I have mine with me as well. Emil opted out for a cloak as well. I'm sure they won't give us too many problems. I have to go. Emil is trying to ask me something. Good luck Arthur,"_ said Lucas. Arthur nodded and thanked him. _They shouldn't have an problems. If anything, the look on Berwald and Lucas's face should be enough to scare people away from asking too many questions._

"What's going on?" asked Francis, looking a bit concerned. "Alfred can't be used as levearge anymore. The shaman got the pendant off. Lucas, Berwald, and Emil are disguised, kinda, and headed toward the village. All we have to worry about right now is taking out Alecai and getting the wings back to Matthew before it's too late. Hopefully, Ivan gives us the signal soon. If he doesn't send anything out in the next ten minutes, I say we move out," he said.

Francis sighed. "I say we stick around. I don't think he'd betray us. I think he really does want to help us. We did help him and his sisters. I don't see why he would want to work against us," said Francis. Alistair snorted. "You're forgetting about the part where Arthur decided to shoot the man between the eyes," he said. Arthur huffed. "Say what you will but I don't regret it. I was afraid he might have killed Alfred or steal his wings," said Arthur. Nobody argued against that.

"I don't blame you. Thought I hate to admit it, I would have done the same if any of you lot were being attacked," mumbled Rhys quietly. Reiley blinked before wrapping an arm around his brother's shoulders. "Aww Rhysie, are you finally admitting that you care for us? Do my ears deceive me?" he asked. Rhy's face went dark as he scowled. "Never mind. I think I would have shot you instead," he muttered.

Alistair grinned and ruffled his younger brother's hair. "Aye, it's nice to know that I can rely on at least one of you runts to shoot if ye need to," he said. Reiley grinned. "Aww look at us, having a brotherly moment." "Sorry mate, but no take backs. You said it so now you have to live with it," said Arthur when Rhys gave him a pleading look. "Oh wipe that smirk off your face," retorted Rhys with a frown.

Just before Arthur could retort just as sharply, a firey butterfly leaving behind a trail of sparks flew into the clearing. The butterfly flew around the Kirkland brothers before disolving into a shower of sparks. "...Was that a magic mariposa or the signal?" asked Antonio. "The signal. We're going in," said Arthur, immediately standing up and double checking the vials of potions lining his belt. His brothers had immediately stopped their fooling around and did the same.

Everyone got up and followed Arthur to the forcefield. "Nobody touch anything until we find the entrance," said Arthur as he and his brothers muttered spells. Eventualy, a rectangular portion of the forcefield started glowing before disappearing. "Everyone hurry in. I can't hold this open for too long before it's noticeable," snapped Allistair. Scurrying, the avians went through and paused once they have gone through.

"Now Ivan said any traps were marked by sunflowers of some shape or form," said Francis, already looking around for any sunflower markings. Arthur rolled his eyes. "Are you forgetting that we have magic on our side? The traps are just for escapees. Ivan even said that. Alecai never thought anyone would really go after him. The dome is just a formality," he said before muttering a spell to make any traps glow.

"We should still stick to Ivan's markings. Just in case. They don't only mark the traps but also the path to the house," said Antonio. Arthur nodded and they started walking that way quietly, carefully avoiding any spots that Arthur's spell detected traps at. After a few short moments, they had made it to the house. They immediately hid in the surrounding forest, spotting Ivan in one of the windows.

"There's Ivan...Where is Alecai?" mumbled Arthur. Francis shook his head, frowning as well. Ivan turned to the window and spotted Francis lightly waving at him. Ivan tilted his head slightly before turning away. "What the ruddy hell are you doing, giving away our position?" hissed Arthur. "He needs to know we're here if he's going to be giving us information on how Alecai is acting," responded Francis.

Arthur grumbled something about frogs not knowing the first thing about espionage when there was a rustle in the woods headed in their direction. "You gave away our bloody position!" hissed Arthur. "Me? Are you sure it wasn't your ridicuous accent?" asked Francis. "Oi, don't make fun of of his accent. It's one of the very few things I enjoy about him," hissed Reiley.

"Will you all quit fighting like a bunch of lasses and shut up for once?" hissed Allistair. "I don't know. I kinda enjoy watching everyone get along so nicely," said a heavily accented voice. They all jumped, Antonio squealing a little. Ivan gave them a smile. "Alecai does not have the supsicion. I say we attack soon before he goes and does the snooping. He is busy gathering materials for a spell," he said.

The men's faces grew serious. "Alright. Everyone knows the plan. Ivan, go back and distract him for a for a few seconds more so he doesn't supsect that you were coming out here to pull us back in after you. We'll be in within moments. Will he grow suspicious at your disappearance?" asked Arthur. Ivan shook his head, reaching into a nearby bush for a scarf. "I told him I lost this and went to retrieve it. He knows I go nowhere without it," he said.

They nodded and Ivan walked back to the house, wrapping the scarf back around his neck. Arthur turned to the others. "Francis, take your team and start looking for the wings. Rhys, you still have the crystal ball correct?" said Arthur. Rhys nodded, pulling the crystal ball out of a cloth bag. "Get a head start. If anything happens, contact us and one of us will be there to help you out. We'll wait a few minutes before jumping in, to give you guys a good chance of getting in and out undetected," said Arthur.

Francis nodded but gave Arthur a serious look. "Oui, we'll do that but if you're in trouble, I'm coming to help regardless. Stay safe lapin," he said before nodding to Rhys and Antonio. "Fine. Only because Matthew would be devastated," said Arthur with a smirk. Francis gave him a grin before his team disappeared into the brushery of the forest. "We give them two minutes. Then we jump in to provide a distraction," Arthur instructed his brothers.

They sat in silence, watching the house for two minutes waiting for some kind of signal from Ivan, a distress call from the others, or the others to come out with the wings in hand. When the two minutes were up, Arthur nodded to his brothers and they started creeping toward the house. The three of them split up to decrease the chances of Alecai making an escape. Each were perched below a different window, hiding out of sight until they heard Ivan lead Alecai into the room.

" _On three now boys. One. Two. Three,"_ all three brothers crashed through the windows and jumped into the living room to find Ivan and a very surprised Alecai standing in the room. Alecai turns to go through the livingroom door, the only exit not blocked by men with wings. Ivan smiled darkly and quickly blocked his way. Alecai froze in stunned amusement. "Ivan, what do you think you are doing? Move out of the way and attack these men! Do you want your wings back or not?" he shouted.

Ivan smiles. "I know you weren't going to give me my wings back. I've known for years. I only stayed because of my sisters," he said, a strange aura surrounding him making everyone in the room shudder. Alecai's eyes widened before he glared at Ivan. "You idiot! I still have your sisters. I won't hesitate to kill the both of them, even the creepy one with the bow!" he shouted.

Ivan pulled the silver pipe out of his coat and menacingly swung it around a couple of times. "That's to bad. Because they have done the escape. You will not be hurting them again," he said. Alecai backed up...right into Alistair, who happily wrapped his arms around the man to keep him from running away. "You got a lot to pay for you bastard," he said. Alecai's eyes widened as he saw both Ivan and Arthur approach, Reiley keeping a close eye out for any escape attempts.

Alecai squirmed. "It was that little blonde brat Ivan brought back, wasn't it? Well, the kid is as good as dead. I put a charm on him. Soon he'll be too weak to move, much less breath. That is, if he isn't already dead," he shouted. Arthur cracked his knuckles before punching the man in the gut. He then grabbed Alecai by the collar. "We got the pendant off of him. You have nothing you can give us," said Arthur.

Alecai's eyes widened. "Ivan. Ivan, I swear I can give you back your wings. Whatever they told you was a lie! I have the potion ready to go in my work room. I was going to give it to you before you told me to come to the living room to see something," he said. Ivan shook his head. "Arthur, I believe you have the first dibs," he said. Alecai swore and managed to grab one of the vials off of Alistair's belt, throwing it to the ground.

A cloud of dark green smoke filled the room, causing everyone to choke and gag. Alecai elbowed Alistair and ran for an exit before Reiley attempted to tackle him but tripped over a table. Alecai made it out of the room before Arthur managed to bark a spell between coughs to clear the room. "Don't bloody dawdle! He's getting away!" he shouted to his siblings before running after Alecai. The three brothers chased after the man, moving the vials hanging from their belt to their pockets.

" _Arthur, what is going on? I can hear someone running this way,"_ said Francis. " _Bloody Fu-That's Alecai! Stop him! He got away_!" Arthur responded. " _I thought you blocked all of the exits! How did he manage to escape?!"_ asked Francis. " _Let me use the next twenty minutes explaining to you every little detail of what happen instead of chasing the ruddy bastard!"_ exclaimed Arthur.

Francis cut himself off when he spotted Alecai heading down the hallway toward him. He shoved the wings into Rhy's arms. "Get them back to Mathieu!" he said before pushing Rhys toward a window. Rhys nodded and broke the window before crawling through as Francis and Antonio moved to quickly block off Alecai's access to the window. Alecai stumbled to a stop as he was quickly surrounded by the other avians.

"That was all you were after? The wings. Thieves! Those are rightly mine!" shouted Alecai. Francis grabbed the man and shook him non too gently. "Those belonged to mon Mathieu. A child. You ripped apart a child for your own sick pleasures. Tried to dismember him. Those wings were never yours," he said, spitting onto the man's shirt. Alecai quickly muttered a spell that threw Francis throw the very window he was guarding.

Antonio hoisted his battle axe before Alecai quickly snapped another spell that sent the axe flying through the window as well. There was a yelp as Francis had to quickly roll to avoid being split in half. With another bark, Antonio was thrown through the window as well Alecai had started running toward the window before all three brothers barked a spell that created a barrier to block the window out. Now the only exit was behind the three brothers.

Alecai quickly barked a couple more spells, causing a barrier to send the two avians flying down the hallway. Reiley hit the wall hard, cursing as he did so. Both Alistair and Arthur were pretty much uninjured, Reiley cushioning most of the impact. Arthur swore when he found the barrier trapping them. Arthur quickly found a potion and splashed it onto the barrier, the potion eating away at the barrier like acid.

"Get the bastard!" snarled Alistair, pulling Reiley out of their little dogpile. Arthur nodded and started sprinting after Alecai, the halls too narrow for him to fly. "I'll go this way, you go left," he growled to his brothers."Right-o," muttered Reiley, running after Alistair while rubbing his head. Arthur spotted Alecai rush out of a room with a small cauldron of purple shining liquid.

" _Watch out lads. He has some kind of potion being cooked up,"_ said Arthur. " _Aye Aye Captain,"_ said Reiley. Both brothers can feel Alistair mentally facepalm. "STOP RIGHT THERE AND DON'T YOU MOVE. THERE'S NO WAY WE'RE LETTING YOU OUT OF THIS ALIVE!" shouted Arthur when he caught up to the shaman. Alecai spun around and immediately dumped the potion all over himself. Arthur froze in his footsteps.

Wings...WINGS sprung out from Alecai's back. Large black wings similar to the ones that Arthur remembered Ivan once having. "I may not have all the magic drained from the runt that I wanted, but now I'm more powerful than any shaman or avian. I am able to bend both schools of magic to my will!" he hissed, taking two spheres out from his cloak and throwing them to the ground. There was a hiss and the spheres let out two shadowy figures that instantly disappeared.

"Neither of your precious fledglings are safe. I won't allow for any more interruptions again," said Alecai.


	26. Chapter 26: Sealand Swoops in

**Darkforces have been unleashed on our beloved characthers...Literally. I promise you'll get that joke in like a minute**

Alfred was up and already starting to feel better. Upon waking up, Natalia nodded at him. "You'll be fine. The pendant is nothing but ashes now. Greg should be back in a little less than an hour or two. After that...I'm not sure. I suppose we should contact your brother first to let him know you're okay," she said. Irunya nodded. "Da. He must be beside himself with worry. I know I'm worried about Ivan," she said.

Alfred stretched, unfurling his wings. Natalia smirked as he accidentally bumped a couple of books and bowls on the table. "He's not that bad off...now that the stupid pendant is off and I can sense him a whole lot better. He's pretty sick...but I think someone's been feeding him enrgy...I don't know who. But he's safe. I know he can sense me a lot better. Mostly because I can practically hear him preparing the lecture he's going to give me when I get back," he said.

Irunya sighed. "I wonder what's going to happen to us now...I still want to be in a flock with Big Brother but I'm not sure how it will be now thathe doesn't have wings. I suppose the Baltic trio, if they come back to us, could help but...everything's so different now," she said. Natalia nodded. "Da. I'm sure I can convince them to come back. Especially Tor-" They all froze, a chill going through each of them. "What was that?" whispered Alfred.

"I don't know...but I don't like it. It felt bad," whispered Irunya. Natalia frowned and grabbed knives from Greg's kitchen before playing with them nervously. "I think we should be ready to fight if something happens. Alfred, do you need me to cover you?" she asked. Alfred shook his head and waved it off. "I'm sure it's nothing. Greg is probably already taking care of it as we speak," he said.

Greg was in the central market when he felt it, the release of shadow magic being used. A sharp chill went down his spine, raising every hair on his body in alarm. "Dimitri...he wouldn't dare…" Without another word, he started running toward his hut. Greg paid no mine to the two caped figures and a cloaked man he bumped into in his haste. "You felt it too?" asked one of the men. The other silently nodded. Emil, Lucas, and Berwald shared a glance before deciding to follow the man.

Greg bursted into the hut, startling the three avians in there. "Don't tell me you felt it too?" he blurted, panting slightly. Alfred and Irunya gave him startled and confused look but Natalia nodded. "Da. If you are talking about the sinister chill we just felt," she said. Greg's face grew ten times older. "No. No, I hoped it was something else. Perhaps after effects of healing someone," he said.

Alfred frowned slightly. "I'm sure it's not as bad as you think….what is it exactly that you think is going on anyways?" he asked. Greg sighed and opened his mouth before a voice from behind him spoke first. "Yes, please explain. We felt it as well and would like to help," mumbled a quiet accented voice. Greg turned around and found the three men he bumped into standing behind him in the doorway.

Alfred lightened up when he spotted the three men. "Hey guys! What are you three doing here? Artie send ya? Greg, this is Berwald, Lucas, and Emil," he asked. Lucas nodded and Greg moved to let them in, openly staring. "Alfred...who are they?" he asked as he did so. "They're the first flock of avians I bumped into..the ones Mattie found. They were the ones that helped us find our original flock," he said.

"I suppose the capes are unnecessary if Alfred is going to just tell everyone," said Emil, taking off his cloak and stretching his wings slightly. Lucas smirked and did the same with his cape before turning to Greg. "We were sent to make sure the village is safe and I believe it is but I would like to know what that feeling was. You're not playing with sinister magic are you?" he asked. Lucas could feel a magic different from his own, and with much darker intents, at play here but he wasn't sure what kind it was. He has never encountered it before.

Greg shook his head. "No. Never. I only use my abilities to help and heal. But that chill we just felt...I believe Dimitri had just released magic from the shadow realm however," he said. Lucas frowned. "Shadow realm?" he asked. "We call it shadow magic. It's magic of the dead. I don't know how to describe it if your kind has never encountered it. Avians tend to use more of a nature magic. Shadow magic is the opposite of that," he said.

Luca's mask of indifference cracked into one of shock. "...That's impossible," was all he could say. Alfred raised a hand. "I have a question… and then some." Greg sighed. "Yes Alfred?" "What do you mean it's the opposite? What exactly does that mean? And lastly, what do we do to put a stop to it and all that?" he asked. Greg rubbed the side of his face. "Nature magic..heals and grows things. It brings people together and can be used for communication and protection.

"Human magic is more about strength, manipulation, and construction. I can heal people, sure, but my magic comes in most handy and is best used when helping make the villages or changing landscapes. I don't do much manipulation. When it's used for the wrong purposes, it can easily turn into shadow magic and warp the user. I think that's what happened to Alecai…," said Greg, starting to think.

Lucas snapped his fingers. "You were going to explain shadow magic. If he was using shadow magic, what does that mean?" he asked. Greg was already moving around the room, grabbing crystals, feathers, and various powders out of cabinets and drawers. "It can bring disease, death. I'm not as knowledgable about that kind of magic, but I know that chill. Alecai has released shadow figures," he said.

Lucas glanced over the things he was pulling out and grunted before helping Greg pull out materials. "I think I know what you're talking about. Long ago, those shadow figures poisoned enough lands to kill the ancients that were connected to them. Romulus was the first to fall. Agnes, the Kirkland's mother, was able to find a way to use her own magic to get rid of them, but the magic use was so incredible that she drained herself and passed away," said Lucas.

Alfred frowned and stood up. "So you're saying he released more of these shadow figures onto the world? Is he crazy? Why the heck is he doing all of this for? What are those figures going to do?" he asked. "The figures will spread horrible disseases through all of the villages. If they touch someone, they will become extremely sick and die, if they don't die immediately at the touch. Avians are immune to it because of their kind of magic. We're vunerable to it because we're considered in the middle of the spectrum. That, and we're pretty weak compared to your kind in terms of abilities. At least if you don't have magic, you would still have wings," said Greg.

Emil frowned. "How can we help?" he asked. Lucas glared at him but Greg quickly spoke, not noticing the lecture the younger brother was about to get. "I can create a special kind of dome that will keep them out, but that dome is still vunerable to their attacks. It'll only buy us time. The only way to truly destroy them is with iron. As for why he is doing this, he's been crazy about your kind for years. Wanted to become like you. Wanted to bend both worlds to his own whim. That and the fact that he's completely nuts makes him dangerous," said Greg.

"But why release them? ...Unless he knows Artie and Ivan are out for his blood...crap. This is our fault," said Alfred, swearing a little. Greg sighed. "Not to make you feel worse Alfred...but I think it's not just because of your friends attacking him. I think he's specifically targeting anyone close to you and your brother that might have interest in going after him," he said. Alfred's eyes widened and all the feathers on his back bristled. "Mattie. He's going after the nest and he's targeting us...We have to warn them," he said.

"I'm sure Arthurs already knows. Berwald, warn Tino. Tell them everything Greg just told us. The shadow figures may still find a way through Artie's barriers but it should slow them down nonetheless. They should still have barriers set up," said Lucas. Berwald nodded and went to sit down in the corner. Natalia twirled a knife in her fingers. "I am willing to help fight those bastards. It's been a long time since I've been given the opportunity to do the fighting," she said.

Greg smiled slightly. "Good. Irunya, you and Emil can help me set the mixtures where I need them. Lucas, I'll need your help preparing the mixtures if possible. Alfred, I need to get the others to warn the villagers and gather whatever iron weapons you can find. The barrier should keep the figures out as long as you guys keep them distracted, but I want to be sure that the villagers are protected and able to protect themselves," he said.

Alfred nodded, glancing at Emil and Berwald. "Berwald, you go with Natalia to the east half of the village. Emil and I will cover the west side. We'll meet back here as soon as we finish knocking at doors. Have all the villagers report to the market square with all the iron they can carry. From there we'll redistribute the iron and send them into the mine for safety," said Alfred. Greg nodded. "Good plan. They might resist outsiders though," he said.

"Don't worry about that," said Natalia cooly, already marching outside with knife in hand. Berwald simply nodded at them before following. Greg watches her go. "...Should we be worried about the villagers she's about to visit?" he asked. "Little sister can be very sweet when she wants to be. Don't worry about it. I'm sure she'll play nicely with them," said Irunya with a smile. Lucas and Emil glanced at each other but said nothing.

Alfred grabbed Emil's arm and pulled him toward their side of the village. "Listen kid, if anyone gives you any problems let me know. Watch out for any of the village kids, they like to pull on feathers. And if anyone resists, tell them it's Greg's orders and that the village is on lockdown. Got it?" he said. "...I'm older than you…" muttered Emil. "Great! I'll start on this row and you start with that one," said Alfred, not listening. Emil rolled his eyes but went to his designated row.

He knocked on the first door, an older woman answering. She narrowed her eyes at him. "I see Alfred has brought back friends. What do you want?" she asked. Emil huffed. "Greg says the town's on lockdown. Meet in the town square with all the iron you can carry in five minutes. We're evacuating," he said. "What's going on?" she asked, eyes widening. "Look, I was just asked to knock on doors. Just follow orders okay?" he said.

She pulled him into the house and began piling pieces of metal and iron pots into his arms. "It's so nice of you to volunteer to help the elderly carry their items. My grandson lives on the east side and it would take him a long walk to get here," she said. "I didn't voluent-" He was interrupted by the woman shoving a cookie into his mouth. "Such a nice young man. I was wrong about your kind. You know, I remember when I first saw a man with wings in the market.." Emil's attention wandered off as she rambled. _How do I get pulled into these situations?_

Alfred was not as lucky as Emil. "Ouch. Mrs. O'Hannegan. Ouch! It's me! Alfred! Ouch! Could you stop-Ow! Doing that please?" he asked the eighty year old woman who was hitting him with a broom. "I knew you were trouble when you and your brother walked in! Disgraced creatures!" she muttered as she continued hitting him. "Grandma, he's telling the truth. Everyone else is walking to the square," said a boy walking into the room.

Alfred quickly slunk away while the boy distracted his grandma and walked to the next house. He was about halfway through his half. He just hoped that Emil wasn't having too much trouble with his half. He had forgotten how mean some of these town people were. After he finished talking to the people at that house, he turned away to bump into Emil who was carrying a bag of cookies, licorice, and other treats.

Alfred eyeballed the cookies. "...Are those Mrs. O'Hannegan's cookies?" he asked. Emil nodded. "Yeah...She's a nutty lady but she makes decent cookies. Anyways, I finished my half of the evacuations. How many more houses do you have?" he asked. Alfred glanced toward the houses he just left. "That was the last one. We should get to the market center after doing a quick sweep of the houses. Don't want anyone accidentally getting left behind," he said.

Emil nodded and stretched his wings out. "We're doing that from the air right?" he said. Alfred gave him a grin. "Sure! Why not?" he said before letting his wings shoot out, nearly knocking over a small child. They both quickly took to the sky, passing over the houses. After finding that they haven't forgotten any houses or that there was no one to help get to the center. When they were done making sure the houses were clear, they flew back to the square.

Natalia and Berwald on the other hand, were having less problems with the elderly. It turns out that combined, just their faces alone are enough to scare everyone into running toward the market center. A dark smile played on Natalia's lips whenever someone tried to ruffle her feathers, both literally and figuratively. She found that people tended to just run when she smiled at them when she did that, something she found useful in the situation.

Berwald, on the other hand, wasn't entirely sure why everyone was quick to follow insturctions so fearfully when he knocked, but he didn't dwell on it. He wanted to hurry up and herd everyone to the square before the fight. If he was lucky, maybe there would be enough time for him to fly after the fight to go help Tino with the one sure to form at the Brit's nest. He just hope that Tino could hang on until then.

In record time, Berwald and Natalia were able to clear out their half of the village and flew back to the square. People had already come into the square, throwing pots and pans and fire pokers into the pile in the middle of the market square. "I wonder how soon Alfred and Emil will be here," said Natalia, looking around at the crowd. The humans were chatting to each other in low voices, glancing at Natalia and Berwald fearfully.

A child tugged on Berwald's wings hesitantly. His wings shot out and he spun around to see who had the nerve to touch his wings without warning. He blinked when he found himself looking at a boy, about twelve years with blond hair and light blue eyes staring up at him. For some reason the boy was wearing a hat from a human naval ship with matching oversized captains jacket wrapped around his shoulder.

The child shrank back from Berwald's gaze for a split second before lifting his chin. "Sorry sir...but you're a bird person?" he asked. Berwald just nodded. The boy's eyes lit up and he bounced up and down excitedly. "My name is Peter Kirkland! I'm like you!" he said. He said. Berwald's eyes widened. "What?" he asked, eyebrows raised. Peter nodded and pulled him to a nearby booth, quickly ducking down behind it and dropping the coat.

Berwald stared at the boy. "Y-You're a Kirkland….You're an avian...But how?" he asked as if the eyebrows weren't enough proof. Peter tilts his head. "I don't know what you mean by the Kirkland thing. But I'm like you! I can help you with the bad thing going on!" he said happily. Berwald frowned slightly. "Where's your family?" he asked. Peter shrugged. "I don't know. I woke up on a fort in the middle of the ocean. It took me a while but I flew over here to try to find others like me!" he said.

Berwald stares at the child a bit longer before finally speaking. "We can sort this out after the evacuation is lifted. You should meet the others now though," he said. Peter nodded excitedly. "That would be great! I would love to meet others like me! Can you fly with your wings? I'm an excellent flyer! I'm still learning but I managed to get here...though I did have to hitch a lot of rides," chatted Peter, happily standing up.

Berwald started to turn away when he felt something bump against his hand. He turned to find an embarrassed Peter quickly snatch his hand away. "...There was a spider," said the boy. Berwald smirked slightly, not that anyone could truly tell, before taking the child's hand. "C'mon. It'd be quicker if we stick together," he said. The boy's face brightened and Peter continued to cheerfully babble as Berwald navigated them through the crowd.

Alfred and Emil finally made it to the market square to find Berwald holding the hand of a child. Emil blinked. "What did Tino say about taking in stray humans?" he said slowly. Peter made a face. "I'm not human! I'm a bird person!" he said. Alfred smirked while Berwald huffed at Emil. "He didn't say anything about stray avians," he said. Emil smirked. "What's your name little dude?" asked Alfred, smiling at the kid.

"Peter Kirkland. I think that would make him your younger brother," said Berwald. Alfred blinked before grinning and ruffling the younger boy's hair. "That's awesome! But..what are we going to do with him during the attack? If the villagers find out...I don't know what they might do," he said. "I can help!" said Peter. "No," said Natalia bluntly, playing with a knife. Peter scowled. "I can help! I got here on my own didn't I?" he asked.

Alfred shook his head. "Sorry little dude, but I think we need you here...in fact, I think Greg is going to need you help him carry around the stuff for the force field. Do you think you can do that for us?" he asked. Peter gave him a look. "It's a very important job. We need it done to protect the villagers," said Berwald. Peter perked up. "Okay! I can do that! I'll meet you guys back here when the bad guys are all beat up!" he said before running to Greg's hut.

Berwald quickly stopped him. "Take this with you just in case though. For protection," he said, handing Peter a cast iron pot. Peter gave him a grin before quickly running away. Berwald turned to the others and nodded at them. "He should be safe here. Lets get the iron distributed to the vilagers and get some weapons ourselves," he said. The others blinked, a bit surprised at the slight change in Berwald but obeying nonetheless.

Once everyone was weaponized, they glanced at the clouds. "What do we do now? The forcefield isn't up yet?" asked Alfred. Emil just shrugged and cleaned the blade of iron poker against his cloak. Berwald looked up from where he was herding villagers into the safe zone. "Be ready," he said. Natalia nodded and sharpened a knife. "I always am," she said with a bit of a smirk.

" _Berwald, why did you send a twelve year old over here? Also, you want to get on the other side of the gravel road that surrounds town. The shield is going up in thirty seconds. I'll be there in a few seconds after, keep an eye on Emil until I'm there,"_ he said. Berwald just simply mentally nodded and lead the others to the opposite side of the road after all four of them double checked that everyone in the village was where they should be.

Just as they reached the other side of the road, there was a burst of light and the force field appeared. Emil raised an eyebrow at it before immediately scowling when his brother landed and ruffled his hair. "Everyone is inside. Let's make this fight quick. I want to go home and have dinner before it gets dark out," said Lucas. Emil made a face. "Don't worry dudes! We'll make quick work of this!" said Alfred. Both Lucas and Natalia made a face at his enthusiasm.

"..." Berwald just stood there, sword in hand. Lucas smirked a little at Berwald. "Don't worry. Tino is fine," said Lucas. Emil snorted. "If anything, Tino is giving them hell," he said. Berwald smiled a bit but swung around when he heard hissing coming from behind them. Figures were coming out of the shadows of the nearby woods. The smokey figures smelt like rotten eggs and where shapeless, shifting back and forth between horse, man, and magpies.

Alfred got a bit closer to Natalia. " _Great...Ghosties...What if they try to eat me?"_ he thought to himself. Natalia snorted. " _They're not ghosts. They're shadowy monsters. And if we don't fight them, who will?"_ she said back. Alfred jumped. " _You can hear me...?"_ he asked. She gave him a look. " _Right...you healed me…"_ said Alfred before grabbing his crossbow filled with iron nails. "LET'S GET'EM!" he shouted before charging at the figures.

"Emil, stay next to me!" shouted Lucas before quickly blocking a figure from lunging at his brother. "There's five of us and thirty of them," said Natalia, not even freezing up when a shadowy figure of a man appeared in front of her. She simply stabbed the creature in the stomach and kicked him away. "Twenty nine," she said plainly before tossing a knife at a different figure.

Alfred grinned and opened fire into the shawdows, killing five of the figures. "I'm winning! Got five down!" he said. "It isn't a contest idiot!" said Lucas before ducking and cutting the wings off of a magpie figure. The bird let out a squak and disapated. Emil just rolled his eyes. "You just got lucky," he said before running at a horse with a spear and catching it in the ribs.

"We should double up, just in case guys. It'd be nicer if we knew someone was watching our back," said Alfred, jumping out of the way of a horse that ran at him from behind. Natalia threw a knife and caught the horse in the neck, causing it to disappear. "Da, I suppose that's true. I guess I'll be with you," she said, walking over to pick up the knife as Alfred shot down a couple of magpies that had swooped down at her.

"I'll watch Emil," said Lucas, ignoring the huff of annoyance his little brother let out. "What about Berwald?" said Emil. "Can take care of myself. No problem," said Berwald before quickly slaying a horse shaped figure. "Point taken," said Alfred, jumping out of the way of another horse, which was promptly was killed by Natalia. Berwald just nodded, quickly killing a second figured, this once shaped like a man.

Alfred quickly took care of the bird shaped shadows, Natalia making sure he was covered as he concentrated on doing so. As the last bird puffed out of existance, Alfred's hand went to his pocket and found that he had ran out of nails. He swore, jumping out of the way of a man that jumped out of the ground at him. Natalia killed the creature. "What's wrong?" she asked. "Ran out of amo. At least I got all the birds out of the way," he muttered.

Natalia slid the handle of a knife into his hand. "Take that one then. I still have the other two," she said, quickly swipping at a horse. "Thanks Nat!" he said, stabbing a man shaped wisp. He gagged as the form disappeared. "Man, that is worse than one of Kuma's farts," he said. Natalia rolled her eyes and jumped out of the way as another horse charged her. Alfred quickly took care of it with a grin.

Emil, on the other hand, was a bit frustrated. His older brother kept turning back to make sure he was okay. Meanwhile, the shadow figures have noticed and kept trying to attack Lucas everytime he turned to check on Emil. Emil had to constantly jump forward to kill the creepy creatures. After the third time, Emil snapped at his brother. "Don't worry about me so much. I know you're concerned but I'm doing fine. I'll let you know if I need help," he said.

"You promise you'll call me if you need help?" asked Lucas. Emil quickly stabbed a horse that came up behind his brother. "I will and you will if you need help," said Emil. Lucas smirked as he quickly jumped behind his brother to stab huminoid figure. "Only if you call be big brother," he sing-songed. Emil groaned. "This is not the time," he said. "Say it. Say big brother," said Lucas.

Emil sighed. "Fine. Big Brother, we'll call each other if we need help. I'm only calling you that because we're in a life or death situation," he said. Lucas smiled. "Good enough form little brother," he said before running a sword through another horse. Emil's cheeks reddened and he decided to vent his frustration by vanishing as many of the shadowmen as possible, not meeting his brother's eyes.

Berwald, however, was having the hardest time out of the five. Because he didn't have anyone watching his back, he was constantly finding himself jumping and dodging the creatures without much time to land a good swipe with his sword. The creatures knew it too, they kept running at him from all directions, trying to back him up into the dark forest where they could take on a more solid form.

Luckily the Swede wasn't stupid and caught on to what they were trying to do quickly. Unluckily, however, he tripped over a tree root as he tried to resist their attempts to force him closer to the trees. His glasses went flying as he fell forward. Berwald mentally swore, grabbing his sword and blindly slowly swinging it in an arc around himself to keep the monsters at bay. He had to find those glasses. He wasn't sure how long the monsters would stay back before trying to attack him once they discovered he was blind with the lenses.

Berwald had started slowly backing up toward the dome before he felt a chill go through him. One of the creatures had gotten behind him and had a hand on his back, between his wings. The Swede froze as he felt his life force slowly start to drain before he heard a huge _Clang!_ "I told you I could help! Here's your glasses mister! I got them before you could accidentally step on them!" said a young voice.

A smaller hand placed the glasses in his hand. Berwald quickly put the glasses on and glanced down at Peter, who gave him a grin and was gripping the cast iron pot with a determined look in his eyes. Berwald nodded at him before quickly taking down three of the figures that had tried crowding him back into the forest. "Thank you Peter. You should go back now. It's not a good place for a boy right now," he said, seeing that they were at the edge of the forest.

Peter shook his head, giving Berwald a look that said he wouldn't leave no matter what the older avian said. "No. You need someone to watch your back. What if they knock your glasses off again or try to push you back into the forest? I promise I'll be careful! That other kid is here and his brother isn't telling him not to be," he said, pointing at Emil. "Hey! I heard that!" shouted Emil from the distance.

Berwald ducked as one of the figures swiped at his face. "Fine, but you stay close to me and you leave the big guys to me. If you even think you'll need help, you tell me, understand?" he said, not seeing much other choice considering they were in the middle of a battle and he didn't have the time to argue as he fought. Peter brightened and nodded eagerly before quickly bashing one of the figure's shins with the pot. It started hissing and jumping around on one foot. Berwald smirked a bit as he quickly finished off said figure.

Emil winced as a horse rammed into him. Lucas was there within a second, shoving the horse off and stabbing it before it could even try to drain Emil's life force. "Thanks Big Brother," said Emil with relief. Lucas brightened up and Emil gave him a small frustrated smile. That was a close enough call that Emil didn't feel too annoyed about letting Lucase hear him call him that.

Alfred and Natalia ran over to force back a couple of creatures that had tried to converge on the brothers. "We're almost there guys. Just a few more to kill and we're pretty much home free. Unless the others end up needing us that is," said Alfred. As soon as he said that there was a scream. Alfred spun around, looking for Natalia. "It wasn't me," she said, pushing back a figure with the side of her blade in hopes of keeping him from touching her.

Alfred quickly dispatched the boogey man. "Who was it then?" he asked. "There!" shouted Emil, pointing at where a horse had torn into Peter's wing with his teeth. Berwald was frantically trying to get the horse to let go while trying to keep the other figures from pushing in on them. Lucas glared before jumping in next to Berwald, muttering curses under his breath. Alfred let out a growl and ran over to help.

Natalia quickly killed the horse that was biting into the wing before helping the rest of the boys clear the remaining creatures out. "How bad is it?" asked Alfred, turning to Berwald. The poor thing was completely shocked, hands fluttering over Peter uncertainly. "It's my fault. H-He tried to push it away...I didn't see it coming and I didn't hear his warning until too late," he said. Peter was trying his hardest not to bawl.

Alfred sat next to the kid. "Hey it's not so bad. You got guts kid. That was pretty brave of you jumping in front of Berwald like that. We'll get you patched up real quick, okay? If you want, one of us can heal you. But you have to pick which one you want to do it because it creates a bond with the person who heals you," he said. Peter nodded, teary eyed before glancing at them.

"C-Can Berwald do it? T-That is if he isn't mad at me. He told me to be careful a-and I wasn't. I dropped my pot when I jumped in front of him," he said, sniffling a bit. Berwald gave him a smile before ruffling his hair. "Not mad. Thankful. I can do it if you want," he said. Peter nodded and moved carefully so Berwald could heal his wing. Berwald gently place his hand over the nasty bite and closed his eyes, concentrating on healing the boy's wing.

Within a few minutes, the bite healed to a nasty bruise. It was annoying but it wouldn't interfere with Peter's ability to fly. Peter gave Berwald a misty eyed smile. "T-Thank you," he said. Berwald smiled back and ruffled the young boy's hair. Alfred grinned and pat Peter's back. "Kid, you just earned yourself so many sweets. I'm sure we can find some candy somewhere around here," he said.

Peter gave him a happy smile and got up. "I hope you're ready for Tino when he finds out you bonded with the kid," said Lucas. Berwald gave him a look and put a hand on the Peter's shoulders. "Who's Tino?" asked Peter, looking at them curiously. Lucas sighed at the quick look of worry that flitted across his face for a split second. "Hey, now that these bastards are finally dead, we should probably contact the others at the nest and see how they're holding up," said Alfred.

 **Reviews are appreciated! We're nearing the end folks, but don't worry! There's still plenty more to come!**


	27. Chapter 27: Everyone's a Worry-Wart

**One Flew Over Arthur's Cuckoo Nest ( I can't believe I haven't used that pun earlier)**

Sylvia toyed with one of the daggers she had found in one of Arthur's trunks. She was in Arthur's magic room, below the main caves. A very sweaty and pale Matthew was sitting in the corner in his nest of pillows and blankets. "How you hanging in there Mattie?" she asked him softly. Her brother looked up from where he was laying down. "Don't worry about me….Worry about the netherfigures or whatever Mathias called them," he said weakly.

Sylvia made a face before sitting next to her brother and brushing his sweaty bangs out of his face. "We probably won't have to worry about them down here. The boys will take care of them in no time and will come and get us when it's safe," she said a bit bitterly. Matthew gave her a soft smirk. "You want to be up there and fight with them, don't you?" he asked. The Monacan crossed her arms and looked away.

"Making sure they don't come after you or catch you off guard is more important," she said. Matthew snorted. "You sound like Alfred," he said. Sylvia raised an eye. "Is that so? Because last time I've checked we're siblings," she said. Matthew chuckled. "...Why don't you go help them? I can call you if anything happens," he said. "Non Matthew, I'm staying with you. You don't look so good," she said.

"Don't feel too good either," mumbled her brother. Sylvia nodded and got him some water before sitting next to him before continuing to play with the daggers. "You're really worried about Gilbert, aren't you?" he asked. "I'm worried about Arthur and France too...but I know they'll be fine. They have each others back and Artie's older brothers won't let anything happen to Artie…," she said.

"Wow. I'll give you one thing, you're better at avoiding a question than Alfred ever could," teased Matthew. Sylvia smiles slightly. "Oui...I'm worried about Gilbert. He was already hurt once recently….and he doesn't tend to think before he acts. I know he'll push himself even if it's not healthy to try to get rid of all those creatures," she said. Matthew nodded. "Sounds like Alfred to be honest...I wonder if the creatures reached the village yet…"

Gilbert swung his sword in irritation when he saw the creatures slowly start to form further down down the mountain side. "You good with fighting so many of them?" asked Mathias, dropping the rag he was using to clean his axe. Gilbert gave him a wicked grin. "Like you even need to ask," he said. The Dane grinned. "Well, with Tino on the roof of the cave, we shouldn't have to be out here fighting for long," he said.

Gilbert grinned. There was no doubt that with Arthur's bow and arrows Tino was going to give them some good cover fire. That and the barrier was going to keep him from worrying about Matthew and Sylvie. "Then what are we waiting for?!" he shouted to Mathias before running through the barrier at the creatures. Mathias grinned and ran after Gilbert, taking down three of the twenty creatures off the bat.

Tino immediately opened fire on the creatures now that the Prussian has given him the signal. Careful not to shoot his friends, he started raining down arrows onto the mountainside. Gilbert let out a growl as he lunged forward, reaping as many creatures as he could. Mathias was next to him, laughing aloud as he swung his axe around through the shadow figures. Within the first few seconds of fighting the rotten smelling things, they had already divided their numbers by half.

The only netherfigures that were really giving them trouble were the magpies. Tino was focusing on the horses, which kept charging the other two as they tried to fight ff the shadowmen. Gilbert and Mathias hadn't bothered going back to back, thinking that they could easily take on those that were left...that was until ten more figures came out of the shadows. Gilbert swore under his breath but pushed on after sparing a glance to make sure Mathias was alright.

One of the creatures slammed into from behind the minute he did so, knocking him to the ground. Gilbert's sword flew out of his hand. His swearing increased as he attempted the kick at the figure, finding the action as effective as, well, kicking smoke. The figure gleaned forward over him, a hole forming where a mouth would in a twisted grin, before putting a hand on his chest.

Sylvia froze when she felt panic and a bit of anger go through Gilbert. Matthew blinked. "What's wrong?" he asked. "Gilbert…" she whispered, gripping the dagger. Sylvia looked at her brother. "I'm so sorry frere…" she said before jumping up and running out of the room. Sylvia raced out of the caves, wings fluttering as she attempted to fly, or at least move a bit faster, when she saw the creature reach into Gilbert's chest.

Gilbert started screaming, back arching with pain. Sylvia let out a shout and threw a dagger at the creature before running past the barrier. She picked up Gilbert's sword and rand to his side. "Is he okay?" asked Mathais from above, where he was trying to hit the creatures from above. "I don't know!" she shouted back at him before finally reaching her mate. "Gilbert, how bad is it?" she asked.

"F-Fine...He just ripped a good chunk of my life force out at the same time. I can fight. Where's my sword?" he said, trying to sit up. Sylvia slid him the blade. "Are you sure mon amour?" she said before stabbing a figure that came up behind her without looking. Gilbert smirked. "Ja liebe. Let's get rid of these fart fogs," he said as she gave him a hand up. Sylvia smiled and spun around, quickly slashing a dagger at a magpie that swooped down at her.

Gilbert slashed through a horse-shaped ghostie. "Thanks for coming after me liebe," he said, ducking down from a swooping magpie. Sylvia quickly took care of that bird as well. "You would have come out for me...I'm just worried about Mattie...He isn't doing so good.." she said. Gilbert frowned and quickly picked up Sylvia and moved her out of the way of a charging horse.

"The figures won't go after him with the barrier in the way. As for the whole sick thing…" Gilbert paused to run a sword through a man. "There's not much you can do about that. His condition will only get worse the longer he's separated from his wings. You could try to make him more comfortable...but considering everything that's going to get harder to do too," he said. Sylvia frowned, ducking below Gilbert's arm to lunge at a man. "I still feel bad…"

"I'm sure he'll understand," he said, jumping out of the way of a magpie while simultaniously stabbing at it. The bird shrieked and disappeared. Gilbert quickly looked for Mathias. Mathias was flying over them and gave a whoop. "Five more of those gas ghosts to go!" he cheered. "What is he cheering about? He was supposed to take care of the magpies while he was up there," muttered Gilbert.

Sylvia leaned forward to stab another ghostie but jumped back when an arrow quickly dispatched it. She looked up to find Tino quickly and efficiently killing the rest of the creatures that were still alive. "Stay here. I'm going to double check that there aren't anymore we need to take care of," said Gilbert, spreading out his wings. Sylvia made a slight face as her mate flew up before glancing around herself. Mathias had a few scratches on him from the branches of trees but nothing serious.

"All clear over here!" shouted Mathias. "Over here too," shouted Gilbert. Tino nodded. "That was the last of them! Good job everyone! Is anyone seriously injured?" he said, casting one last look before flying down to Sylvia. "Fit as a fiddle!" said Mathias, landing next to Tino. "Ditto. Just a little banged up. You okay Sylvie?" he asked, landing next to her and wrapping an arm around her.

Sylvia nodded. "I'm perfectly fine. Are you still hurting from what that thing did to you?" she asked. Gilbert grinned before kissing the top of her head. "I shouldn't be worried. I taught you well and you're a good fighter. I'm fine babe. Nothing a bit of rest will help," he said. She made a face at that. "You know that means you'll actually need to rest, right?" she said. Gilbert grinned. "You know me too well. C'mon. Let's go check on your brother. He's probably a bit worried," he said.

Sylvia nodded, a flash of guilt passing through her eyes, and immediately rushed through the barrier and into the caves. Mathias and Gilbert chuckled a little before following. Tino went to the kitchen and set some broth on the fire just in case Mattie was hungry. He jumped when he felt a shock of panic go through Berwald, nearly dropping the kettle for tea due to it.

The panic disappeared from his mate, replaced instead with the sensation that Berwald was healing and creating a bond with someone else. _Someone got hurt...I hope it isn't too bad…_ Tino nervously continued trying to make dinner but part of his mind was tuned into any changes that might come from Berwald's end. After a few minutes of waiting, Berwald finally contacted him.

" _The village is safe. No one seriously hurt. Do you need backup?"_ came the to-the-point message. Tino let out a sigh of relief. " _No. Everything is fine on our end. We took care of the creatures. Only Gilbert was hurt but Sylvia jumped in before it could become serious. The only one to really worry about right now on our end is Matthew. He's getting sicker. I'm making him something to eat right now,"_ said Tino.

"We got Matthew set up in the living room. I don't think he'll hold anything down but it's worth trying. Oh...Sorry. Didn't realize you were chatting with someone," said Gilbert, lowering his voice when he recognize the look of concentration on Tino's face. Tino waved a hand, letting him know that he heard him and that it was no big deal. "It's Berwald," he whispered before quickly concentrating once more.

" _Do you want us to meet up with you there? I know Alfred is worried about his brother,"_ said Berwald. Tino bit his lip and turned to Gilbert. "Everyone in the village is fine. No one's injured. Berwald is wondering if they should wait in the village or if they should come here. Alfred is a quite worried about his brother," said Tino to Gilbert. Gilbert sighed as he quietly tried to think.

"As much as I wish that they could be back here...If something happens on Arthur and Francis's end, they'd be closer to the house and might be able to help if they fly fast enough. Though, I suppose if Alfred really is worried, he could fly back on his own. The only thing is that I'm not sure how safe that would be since it seems that those fart fogs are targeting the twins," said Gilbert.

Tino nodded and quickly relayed Gilbert's answer. " _I suppose he's right. I'll let Alfred know. Also, we'll be bringing back an extra person with us to Arthur's nest. I bonded with one of his younger brothers,"_ said Berwald. Tino blinked. " _What? Like Reiley?"_ asked Tino. " _No, Arthur doesn't know him. I'll see you soon. Be careful,"_ said Berwald before cutting the connection, leaving Tino slightly confused.

"What's wrong Tino?" asked Gilbert when he saw Tino's look of confusion. "Nothing's wrong. Berwald just said something that confused me. No big deal. The broth's almost ready if you want to bring some out to Matthew. You should bring a pot or something with you though, if you're not sure he's going to hold the meal down," he said. Gilbert snorted. "Good thinking. Francy-Pants would get all bent out of shape if he comes back and finds a vomit stain on his couch," he said.

Matthew tried not to look too embarrassed as Mathias and Gilbert helped him out of the magic workshop and transferred him to the couch while a guilt-stricken Sylvia looked on. "I'm so sorry I just left you there. And after I said it was a bad idea," she said. "It's fine Sylvie. You were worried about Gilbert and from what I've heard, for good reason. I'm not mad at you and you shouldn't feel bad," assured Matthew.

Sylvia nodded but did give him some extra pillows and blankets before sitting in a chair next to him. "You hanging in there? Nothing happened while I was outside, right?" she asked. "Non," croaked Matthew, not daring to shake his head with how bad his headache was. She sighed and got up, quickly coming back with a damp rag. He let out a small sigh of relief when the rag was placed on his burning forehead. "Merci," he said. She smiled. "De rien."

Matthew opened his mouth but blinked when he heard his brother's voice in his head. " _Mattie, how you hanging in there? They treating you alright?"_ asked Alfred in a voice that Matthew knew he was trying to keep light despite his worry. Matthew smiled for his sake. " _I'm...hanging in there. I feel like I have a horrible case of the flu but I still got a few more days in me before it gets serious,"_ said Mattie, lying slightly to try to keep his brother from worrying.

Matthew could hear his brother clear his throat with annoyance. " _Mattie, I'm kinda in your head. I know you're lying. That's it. I'm coming there. Just...don't get sicker until I get there,"_ said Alfred. Matthew mentally rolled his eyes, not bothering telling his brother that it was like he had control over that. " _I'm fine Alfred. I'm not going anywhere yet. Stay there and take care of the villagers, okay?"_ he said.

Alfred grumbled. " _Dude, Greg's got a barrier surrounding the village and the others are here…"_ he said. " _Please Alfred? I'm fine. I'm not going to get worse between now and when you get here. Don't worry about me,"_ said Matthew. Alfred made a face but nodded. " _Just hang in there okay?"_ he asked. Mattie nodded and cut the connection. Sylvia's wings fluttered nervously. "Is he okay?" she asked.

Matthew nodded. "He's fine, worried about me. I think I managed to convince him to stay put in case Francis and Arthur need him. I don't want him flying back here until we're sure those creatures won't come bac," said Matthew. Sylvia wrinkled her nose. "You sure he's going to actually listen this time? We are talking about the guy who broke out of jail practically twenty minutes after you told him not to," she said.

Matthew made a face. "I'm sure he'll listen this time. He knows how important it is that he stay put. He won't try to come back," he said. Sylvia raised a doubtful eyebrow but sat down next to him. Gilbert walked in. "Tino says that they're all fine. Sounds like they found you another long-lost bruder liebe. Waldy's bringing him to the nest when all this is over," he said, wrapping an arm around Sylvia.

Matthew blinked. "Another one? How do Arthur and Francis keep losing so many kids?" he asks. Sylvia gave Gilbert a confused look. "I don't remember Arthur or Francis saying anything about another lost brother. I would think they would have mentioned it, especially now that Alfred and Matthew are back," she said. "Sounds like your parents left another kid for Artie and Frankie to find," chuckled Gilert.

Tino grinned, having heard the last part of the conversation as he walked in. "If that's true, I wonder how old the boy is. It's been so long since any young fledglings have been found. Though, I'm guessing it's going to get pretty stress full for Arthur and Francis, having so many things change at once," he said. Mathias grinned. "I'm sure they'll be fine. If anything, Francis would be exstatic," he said.

Sylvia snorted. "He'd be happy...but Arthur would flip out after a few days of trying to balance everything," she said. Matthew sighed. "Maybe Alfie and I-" Sylvia jumped in. "If you suggest that you go to the village while things settle down, I'm going to blame it on your fever," she said. Matthew makes a face but smiles softly. "You sound like Alfred. Are you sure it won't be too much of a problem? I know Alfie and I don't want to be a burden," he asked. Sylvia shook her head.

"You know how much they looked for you and missed you? Don't leave. It'd just break their heart to have you go a second time, so soon after you returned," she said. Gilbert nodded. "That and you and your bruder seem pretty awesome. There aren't that many people awesome enough to hang out with that I haven't already been annoying for the past few centuries," said Gilbert. Matthew smiled. "Fine, we'll stay. I wonder what the brother is like," he said. Sylvia sighs. "I'm more concerned about Francis and Arthur," she said.

 **Let me know what you guys think! I'm still trying to think of how exactly I want to end the story so any input would be really helpful!**


	28. Chapter 28: Caging the Bird

**You Lift Me Up on the Wings of a Psychopath (Points to whoever immediately thought of Eagle's Wings by Michael Joncas)**

"Wow. I gotta admit. I did _not_ see that one coming. Gotta give the man some points there," said Reiley. "Not the bloody time you git!" facepalmed Alistair as Arthur rushed Alecai. Alecai gave Arthur a smug look before jumping through the window and making a break for it, flapping his wings as he ran. Arthur swore and ran after the man, wings spread until he realized something.

"The moron can't even fly!" gasped Francis with disbelief. Alecai started flapping his wings desperately before being tackled by a very livid Englishman. "Ivan, secure what's left in that pot he had earlier. Perhaps we can get you your wings back afterall. And you, you arse, are going to pay for everything you've done," said Arthur. Alecai squirmed fierecly, trying to break out of Arthur's grip.

reiley whooped, swinging a fist in the ear. "Good tackle Bunny. That brilliant!" he said. "Could you make yourself useful and perhaps get me some rope or something to tie him down with?" asked Arthur, trying to avoid Alecai's wings from hitting him in the face. "Oh, right!" reiley turned and ran to the house. Five minutes later, the Irishman came back with an armful of rope. Together, the two brothers quickly immoblized Alecai. reiley even brought a couple of large rocks over to make sure the man couldn't try to fly away again.

Allistair came over to Arthur carrying a large book. "There's a spell in here that should help us wrap things up here. I think you should take a swing at it. reiley and I are going to have to act like your reserves," he said. Arthur raised an eyebrow and took the book from him, flipping to the spell Allistair had marked. "Is it dangerous?" he asked. Allistair shook his head. "Not if reiley and I keep contact with you while you preform the spell," he said.

Arthur glanced at Alecai, who was practically spitting with rage, fighting to get out of his bonds. He smirked. "Try as you might you aren't getting out of that. And we can fly faster than you can run. Face it. You're done for lad," he said, despite that Alecai looked decades older than himself. "Why bother?! You're fledglings are probably dead by now! My minions would have ripped them to shreds!" he shrieked.

"Actually, mis amis have just informed me that our nest is safe along withour fledglings. You have nothing left," said Francis. Ivan walked over to them, holding the large pot before putting it in Reiley's arms. "But before we have our fun, I do have some of the questions. That is the spell that Arthur wants to do is to kill you," he said, pulling out the pipe and twirling it in his hands. Alecai's eyes widened in fear, just as he realized how bad this really was.

Arthur shook his head. "Oh, we're not planning to kill him. We'll leave that to you. What we're going to do is going to be much worse for him," he said. Ivan's smirk widened. "I see. Then proceed. I see no problem with this," he said. Arthur smirked back. This was one of the first times he and the Russian have managed to almost become kinda friends "Thank you mate. We shall do so happily," he said. Ivan grinned and backed away from Alecai, giving him a menacing look as he did so.

"What do you need us to do Arthur?" asked Reiley, looking serious for one of the first times during all of this. "You and I are act as reserve magic. We got to keep contact with him as he does the spell and channel our energy to him to make sure the spell goes through without draining him. Got that?" said Allistair. Reiley nodded as Alecai's eyes widened. "What? No. No you can't do that! Not after everything I've done! All my work!" he shouted.

Reiley and Allistair shared a smirk before positioning themselves on either side of their younger brother, each placing a hand on Arthur's shoulder. "Whenever you're ready Art," said Allistair. Arthur smriked, looking down at Alecai as he used a finger to find his place in the book. "NO! NO DON'T! I-I'LL GIVE IVAN HIS WINGS BACK! HONEST THIS TIME! I'LL GIVE YOU ALL WHATEVER YOU WANT, JUST PLEASE-" screamed Alecai before being cut off.

"I suggest you shut up before you end up losing your teeth," said Ivan, tapping the pipe against the palm of his hand. Alecai quickly swallowed, but his eyes watered up as he gave them a silent begging look. Antonio rolled his eyes. "Por favor amigo. You think we're really going to back off because you give us lagrimas de crocodilos? (crocodile tears)," he asked. "You deserve it. Every part," said Arthur before beginning to read from the book.

The book started to glow, as did Arthur's green eyes. Alecai started to whimper, trying to wiggle away desperately. Arthur kept reading from the book before starting to chant. As he started chanting, Reliey and Allistair's eyes started glowling as well. They're hands started glowing where they were touching their brother. The glow from the book spread from Arthur to Alecai. Alecai's eyes shot open wide.

Alecai started screaming, howling with pain. He writhe in his bonds, fingers clawing at the ground as he fell forward as far as the ropes tying him to the nearby trees would let him go. Francis looked on with a serious face, Antonio with a look of disgust mixed with horror. Ivan had a wide grin on his face. Arthur had a look of pure concentration on his face in his semi-trance.

The spell started to reach its climax as Alecai's screams got louder, his wings starting to smoke. Arthur repositioned his feet so he was more ground, throwing a glowing hand toward Alecai. Alecai let out a screach when his wings suddenly disappeared in a flash of mist. "You are not worthy of wings. Say goodbye to them forever," said Arthur in a menacing voice. Alecai screamed before passing out.

Reiley and Allistair quickly caught their brother, bringing him to a tree so he could sit against it. "Will he be okay?" asked Francis, looking worridely at Arthur. "Y-Yeah...He's just drained," panted Reiley. "I c-can see why the spell called for two back up reserves," mumbled Allistair. Francis nodded and turned to Alecai. "What do we do with this pathetic loser?" he asked.

Antonio frowned. "I have a feeling that if he was allowed to live he'd spend the rest of his days trying to find away to kill us all or get those wings back. He's muy peligroso (dangerous) to us alive," he said. Ivan smirked. "Don't worry. He won't stay alive for very much longer," he said. Francis made a small look of disgust but didn't move to stop him.

"Shouldn't you do it now while he can't try to escape amigo?" asked Antonio, gesturing to Alecai's prone body. Ivan shook his head. "Nyet. I want him to be awake for this," he said with a chilling smile. "I don't blame you mon ami. The man was tres horrible," said Francis. Ivan twirled the pipe, grin growing wider. Both Antonio and Francis suppressed a shudder as Ivan did so.

Arthur stirred slightly, opening his eyes. "W-What…?" he asked. "You finally brought the bastard down Bunny," said Allistair. Arthur blinked, looking a bit dazed. "You took his wings away," said Reiley. "Are you done with your revenge?" asked Francis. Arthur nodded slowly. "Ivan can have his now, if you don't have anything in mind," he said. Francis shook his head. "I'm sure what Ivan will do will be more than anything I could think of doing to him," he said.

Arthur nodded. "Ivan, you can have your fun then," he said. Ivan grinned before kicking Alecai in the ribs, hard. Antonio flinched as he heard a sickening crack as a rib broke. Alecai woke up with a swallowed scream before looking up at Ivan. Ivan smiled menancingly down at him. "Hello old _friend_. Remember those games you used to play with my sisters and I whenever we missbehaved? Let's play again for old times sake," he said.

Francis and Antonio immediately turned to face Arthur and his brothers, blocking the latters' view of what was going on, as Alecai let out a bloodcurdling scream following a sharp _WHACK!_ They all flinched as there was another scream. "The bastard deserves it. Every bit of it," muttered Arthur. Francis grimaced at another scream. "Should we worry about someone hearing and trying to come rescue him?" asked Antonio.

"Rhys took the crystal ball, but I think we're far enough from the nearest village for there to be many issues. Alecai did build out here because he wanted a secluded place for his little experiments," said Allistair, pulling out a flask and taking a swig. "Hand some of that over here," muttered Reiley, sticking a hand out. "And besides, the nearest village is under lock down because of those creatures. Unlikely anyone will make the trip out here anytime soon," he said.

There was more screaming, but this time it didn't seem to have a definite end. Ivan was shouting at Alecai in a mixture of English and Russian. After a few minutes, Ivan walks over to them with a smile. The silver pipe in his hand was splattered with blood and there were droplets of blood on Ivan's face as well. "I am the finished with him. Is it possible that I can use the potion to get my wings back?"

Arthur rubbed the side of his face tiredly. "It's possible. I'll have to look through his house and his books for any notes over this. It seems from this spell book that he has been researching and experimenting with the idea for a while...but for himself. Apparently he needed feathers from your sisters wing and your spit to do it. I can't guarantee anything," he said. Reiley shrugged. "Or we can skim to make sure it isn't dark magic before we dump the goo on him," he suggested.

Allistair frowned. "That's not entirely safe either...but it would make flying where we need to fly that much easier," he said. Arthur nodded. "Everyone spread out and look for his journals," he started before Ivan shook his head. "He told me where they were a few seconds ago. They're in a cabinet that's been jinxed to curse anyone who tries to mess with it under his bed," he said.

Allistiar nodded. "I'll come with you to undo the hex," he said. Ivan smiled and the two turned to walk to the house before Allistair paused at where Alecai laid gasping and choking. "What do you suppose we do with this git?" he asked. Ivan gave them an innocent smile. "I thoght we could him here to die choking on his own blood. I'm sure he won't disturb us while we look through his journals," he said.

Francis shuddered. "Non, we have to make sure there's absolutely no chance that he can come back or do any harm ever again," he said. Ivan's smile wavered a little but he nodded. "Da. I suppose you're right. Francis you may finish him off. I do not wish to see his face again," he said. Francis nodded and pulled out a dagger. Wings stretched, he thrusted the blade into Alecai's heart. Alecai gasped before going still, eyes going dark.

Francis left the knife in the body, standing up. Ivan nodded and went to the house with Allistair following him. Arthur slumped against the tree, glancing at Alecai's body. "It's over. It's finally over. That man can never go after any of our kind again," he said quietly. Reiley nodded. "Now the only thing this man can do is grace us with his ugly mug, even in death. Someone should probably get rid of the body," he said.

Antonio stood up, brushing off his clothes. "I know a nearby ravine I can throw him into," he said. Arthur shook his head. "There's a lake nearby. Just make sure he doesn't float back up," he said. "Bueno. I shall do that instead then. I'll be back in about twenty minutes," he said, spreading his wings and taking off. The Spaniard swooped down at the body, grabbed it by the ankle, and flew off.

Reiley chuckled. "All we have to worry about is Mattie getting his wings back. Good thing Rhys is already on the case! With that stick in the mud on the case, we won't have to worry about anything really. Rhys won't let anything get in his way and can be trusted to do the task correctly...Don't tell him I said that aloud," he said. Arthur managed a smirk. "I'll be sure not to. ….Thank you Reiley…," he said, pausing for a bit.

Reiley blinked at surprised before laughing. "Ah lookie here. My little brother is showing some affection. Don't thank me Artie! I would have done anything to help you get the boys back and stop all of this. They're my kin too. I'm just glad I don't have to see you moping about or hear your angry ranting anymore. Maybe now you can finally be a happy drunk instead of the Debbie Downer you've been all these years at the bar," he said.

Arthur felt his eyes smart a little but swore it eas because he was exhausted. He opened his arms and blinked when Reiley immediately embraced him hard, picking him up a little. Reiley set him down, a wicked grin on his face. "Don't worry little deartháir (brother). I won't tell Allistair about our little heart to heart. I just hope that this means I can spend more time with my little Bunny," said Reiley, still hugging him. Arthur made a face. "Don't bet on it," he grumbled, cheeks pink.


	29. 29:The Yank Came Back, The Very Next Day

Reiley grinned and let go of him just as Ivan and Allistair came out of the house, carrying a stack of journals. "Alright. Everyone except Arthur is going to grab a journal and search for information," said Allistiar, handing Reiley and Francis a book. "Where did the Spainiard go along with the body?" asked Ivan. "Antonio is giving Alecai a burial at sea," muttered Arthur, pushing his hands against the ground so he was sitting up against the tree better.

"I can take a book as well. No need for me to sit like a bump on a log while you chaps do all the work," said Arthur. Allistair glared at him. "You're going to sit there and you're going to rest. We'll let you know if we find anything we think can be worth while," he growled. Arthur scowled at him but didn't argue, knowing that almost everyone there can feel how exhausted and drained he was.

Allistair nodded and distributed the journals, everyone immediately started reading. Antonio flew back and landed next to them. "Alecai is now sleeping with the fishies. I also found some nice turtle amigos while I was at the lake," he said, explaining the three turtles in his hair. Francis stared at him for a second before handing him a book. "If we can get the potion to work on him, we won't have to carry him anywhere," he said.

Antonio nodded eagerly. "Bueno, él tiene muy pesado. (Good, he's very heavy)." Francis smirked. "D'accord. (Agreed)," he said. Ivan didn't even ask what they said. He was skimming his book with as much speed and precession that he could muster. Allistair grumbled as he looked down on a page a few minutes later. "I believe I may have figured it out…Art, look this over will ye?" he asked, tossing the book to his youngest brother.

"What do you mean?" asked Ivan eagerly, not even waiting for Arthur to start reading. "Well, it says he's been messing with your spit to try to use them to recreate your wings. He's also been taking your sister's feathers to compensate for certain elements found in your wings but not in your spit. I've never really understood human magic. Anyway, he did this so he could reproduce or bring back your wings.

"Using some magic and what sounds like dead birds as well, he created a potion that could bring back your wings, but after years of trying various spells and various combinations of green, white, and black magic. Once he figured out how to do it, he had to find away to stabalized the potion. From his notes, he didn't know how to do so until very recently using magic from Alfred to do so. Ain't that right Artie?" said Allistair.

Arthur made a face. "Don't call me that. And yes, that's right. It looks like he made enough for three people because he wasn't sure how long the spell will hold out. But his notes make it clear that he wasn't planning on sharing with anyone...You got very lucky Ivan," he said. Ivan held out a hand. "I would like to see that please," he said. Arthur handed him the journal, the Russian scowling as he read. He started swearing visciously in Russian.

Ivan looked up, a hard look to his eyes. "So is it safe for me to use the potion or not?" he asked. Arthur nodded. "I don't see why not. Alecia has already payed the price for the wings, his own ability to do magic. Because they were your wings and you already have suffered for decades without them and to get them back, any price you would need to pay would have already been paid.

Ivan glanced at the pot, still holding enough for one person in it. "Do I drink it or just pour it on myself?" he asked. "It's more potent if you drink it but he was in rush so he dumped part of it on himself. Drink the rest of it and be prepared to take off your coat or something if your shirt doesn't have slits in it," said Arthur tiredly. Ivan nodded and drank out of the bowl. He pulled off his coat and fell to his hands and knees.

Allistair and Francis started to get up before he put up a hand. "Nyet….I'm fine," forced out Ivan through clenched teeth. They watched as the skin on his back started to bubble up painfully. Ivan let out a stiffled scream when giant wings ripped out of his back. The other avians winced at the display. Feathers quickly sprouted over the wings. Five minutes later, Ivan sat up and spread his wings. He glanced at the dark feathers and ran over to Arthur, squeezing him. "Thank you for helping me. We should become the friends now!" he said.

Arthur patted his back awkwardly. "Erm, right. Do you think you could handle flying? Alecai didn't know the basics of doing such but you've been out of the air for a while. There is also the consideration that these wings are fairly new and may need some time to strengthen," he said. Ivan flapped his wings a couple of time before grinning. "I can do the flying no problem. I wish to see my sisters as soon as possible," he said.

Allistair raised an eyebrow. "Are you alright with flying so soon? You look a wee bit pale," he said. "I'll rest once I see the boys. Let's go pick up the others at the village and make the trip to the nest," he said. Francis frowned. "That's a two hour trip. We really don't mind waiting," he said. Arthur opened his mouth to argue but Reiley quickly intervened. "You see, I figured you would refuse to back down if you ran out of juice. That's why I made an energy potion," he said.

Both of his brothers stared at him. "Reiley, that was actually thoughtful…" trailed Arthur. "Aye. I'm surprised you thought that far away," said Allistair in the same slow tone. "Oi, don't sound so surprised. I knew my little brother and I know my magic. Besides, this way Arthur has to say that I'm the favorite older brother," said Reiley. Allistair growled and took the potion from Reiley, handing it to Arthur. "It's not fair to have favorites. And if he did have one, it'd better be me since I took care of him since he was a wee one," he said.

Arthur rolled his eyes and quickly chugged the potion. "If I had favorites it'd be Rhys. He's much less annoying than you gits," he lied, teasing them. Allistiar rolled his eyes and ruffled both of his younger brothers' hair, both making a face as he did so. "I start to regret throwing you off that cliff when you first starting to fly less and less with every word you two say," he said warmly. Reily snickered and Arthur just snorted.

Arthur wiggled his way out from his brother's hand and stretched his wings. "Let's go. I want to see the village the boys were raised in," he said. The others nodded and took to the air, Ivan making a rocky take off but managing it nonetheless. Arthur's wings felt heavy at first but after a few minutes the potion kicked in, giving him a much needed burst of energy. After an hour they spotted the village. "That's the village? Where are all the humans?" asked Antonio.

"They were evacuated underground. Look, they're dropping the dome to let us in," said Arthur. Ivan nodded. "My sisters told them too. Natalia and Irunya have already spotted us," he said, flying ahead before suddenly diving into a landing. Once he saw his sisters, finally safe, sound, and far from danger, he gave them both a bone crushing hug that neither girl seemed to mind. "I told you I would find a way to get us all three out of this mess," mused Natalia with a slight smile.

Ivan nodded, giving her another hug before looking around. "Where is the man that freed you two?" he asked. "He went back to his nest. He said his brother was getting sicker and he wanted to be there for him. We would have gone with him but we didn't want to wait to see you. The Nordics here wanted to talk to Arthur before they flew off to the nest as well," said Irunya happily, her bubbly personality returning after years of captivity.

Arthur blinks. "Alfred left? Already? Didn't we tell him to stay here?" he asked. "He seems to do that quite often mon cher," mused Francis with a slight smile. Figures Alfred would run off the minute he was told to stay put. Arthur sighed. "Well...we got rid of the shadow creatures and killed Alecai...he should be fine. He wasn't injured was he?" he asked. "He's perfectly fine. Just extremely stubborn," said Natalia. Arthur nodded and turned to Lucas.

"So what is it that you wanted to tell me? Is it serious?" he asked. Lucas shook his head. "It's nothing bad...well, depending on how you look at it. You have another little brother," he said plainly. Arthur, Reiley, and Allistair blinked. "Wot?" they all asked at the same time. Peter ran in front of Lucas and put his hand out. "I'm Peter Kirkland and I'm a bird person too! So you three are my brothers? I thought there were two more of you I haven't met. Oh well!" he said happily. All three brothers just stared at him. "Great...More competition," mumbled Reiley. Arthur promptly elbowed him.

"But...There isn't any land near the isles to cause the need for a personification. At least I assume you're from the isles...we have the same accent," mused Arthur confusedly. Peter scowled at his older brother. "I'm from Sealand! It's a small country off the coast of England!" he said. All three brothers frowned. "Wait...is he talking about-?" asked Reiley, glancing at Arthur. "Are you talking about that small fort I made about tweleve years ago?" he asked.

Peter puffed his chest out, wings proudly stretched. "Yes, that's my country! It's Sealand and it's going to be one of the best ones in the world! I see you've already heard of it!" he said excitedly. "It's not even a real country!" snapped Arthur, running a hand over his face. The energy potion was starting to wear off. Peter's face fell and Allistair quickly jumped in. "What happened to ye wing Peter? It look like it got bit by something," he said, gesturing to it but careful not to touch his wings.

Peter glared at Arthur but turned to Allistair, moving his wing so he could look at it better. "I stopped one of those horse monsters from attacking Mr. Oxenstierna but it bit me instead. But I managed to kill a bunch of them with a pot!" he said proudly. Allistair raised an eyebrow. "You must have good aim. Obviously you got some Kirkland in ye," he said appreciatively. Reiley jumped forward and immediately hugged the kid. "The wee one even gots the eyebrows! Wait till I tell Rhys!" he said.

Arthur raised an eyebrow. "Rhys is going to be absolutely thrilled to hear we have another lad in the family," he said. "Aye that he will," muttered Allistair, ruffling Peter's hair once he wiggled out of Reiley's embraced. Peter looked at Berwald, unsure. The Swede nodded. "Yep. Those are your brothers. If you wish, they could be your new flock," he said. "Flock?" asked Peter.

"The group of people you live with and have take care of you until you're old enough to decide whether you want to stay in their flock or join a new one. Most fledgling that are found such as yourself are either taken in by the flock that found them or by the flock that is related to them," said Lukas. Allistair nodded. "It's your choice but you don't have to choose right now. Wait until you've already met the other members of both flock to make the decision," he suggested. Peter slowly nodded.

Arthur sighed and looked around. "It doesn't look like many people are out of the mines yet. Where is the one chap that Alfred said was helping us? The shaman?" he asked. "He passed out and is being tended to by the midwife in the mines," said Irunya. Lukas nodded. "He drained himself by holding up the barrier during the fight and trying to fend some of the creatures off at the same time. He won't be awake for another hour or two," he said.

Arthur sighed. "I was hoping I could thank him...I suppose I'll just make a trip back here another time when everything's settled to do it personally. In the mean time, fetch a village boy to tell him we send our thanks. We better leave now if we want to catch up with Alfred and knock some sense into him," he said. Allistair rolled his eyes but shouted to a twelve year old boy that had snuck over to where the dome used to be. He gave him some gum in payment for running the message. "I would like to do the talking to my sisters first," he said.

"Alright. Let's get going. Rhys should be getting near the newst by now if the wings aren't weighing him down so bad," said Arthur. Reiley nodded and glanced at Peter. "Do you know how to fly or will you need someone to help or carry you?" he asked. Peter hesitantly touched the tip of his own wing. "I'll carry him. He got hurt helping me. We need to go by our nest first We'll see you there," said Berwald. Wordlessly, Berwald picked up the child and spread his wings. "Let's go." Ivan shrugged.

 **An Apple a Day Can't Keep Alfred Away (Though Mattie DID Try)**

Alfred flew as fast as his wings could carry him. He could feel his sense of his twin start to wither as his brother got weaker. When he got closer to the caves, no one was outside or by the barrier. There was no sign of life, which only added to Alfred's panic. Alfred landed on the ledge outside the opening of the cave and ran into the cave. "MATTIE YOU AREN'T ALLOW TO DIE UNLESS IT'S BECAUSE WE DECIDED TO GO OUT IN A BLAZE OF GLORY!" he shouted.

Mattie covered his ears and winced when his brother's voice once again aggravated his ears. "I don't remember agreeing to that!" he said. "You did! It was around the time we borrowed Miss Anne's goat to clean the yard," said Alfred in a sing-song voice. Mattie looked up at his brother. "That was when we were tweleve!" he said. Alfred grinnd and ruffled his brother's hair, inwardly wincing at how sick his brother looked. Mattie had dark rings around his eyes, was extremely pale, sweaty, and his voice was just a wheeze at this point.

Alfred's eyes softened. "Dude, you just hang in there for a few more minutes. I'm sure the others are already on their way. They said Gilbert, Mathias, and Tino were here keeping an eye on the place," he said. Mattie nodded. "Tino and Sylvia have been watching me...mostly Sylvia to be honest," said Mattie with some difficulty. Alfred raised an eyebrow. "Huh, don't remember meeting her," he said.

"She's our older sister...Francis mentioned her. She's Gilbert's mate..," said Matthew slowly, leaning back into the pillows around him on the couch. Alfred blinked before sitting on the floor next to his brother. "Alfie...if she comes in here don't mention her wings. Gilbert will kill you," said Mattie, giving his brother a look. Alfred blinked. "What's wrong with her wings and what makes you think I would eber say anything mean about them? That kinda hurts Mattie," Alfred said, causing his brother to roll his eyes.

"I know you well enough Alfred. You might be nice to me about my wings but you tend to be a bit blunt or clueless when it comes to handling other people's feelings," Matthew said. Alfred huffed but nodded. "I'll try to keep my trap shut, only because you're too sick to elbow me if I go too far. Where is she anyways?" he asked. Sylvia cleared her throat from her place in the doorway and looked at her brother. "I'm Sylvia and you must be Alfred, the boy who doesn't know how to stay in one place," she said, eyebrow raised.

Alfred chuckled. "At least I'm not Mattie. Mattie is the boy who doesn't know how to stay in one piece," he said, earning a weak swat to the head from his twin. Sylvia smirked and placed a bowl of soup on the coffee table. "I can't say I can really argue againts that. It's nice to meet you Alfred. Do you want something to eat?" she asked. "Who's the soup for?" asked Alfred. "Your brother. I was about to feed him some," she said despite Mattie weakly waving his hands 'no'. Alfred grinned. "I'll feed him!"

Sylvia smirked and handed him the bowl, turning her head when Gilbert came stumbling in. She turned toward her mate, Alfred getting a good glance at the section of feathers missing from her right wing. His mouth opened, earning a gentle kick to his arm by his brother. Alfred quickly turned his head and shoved a spoon of soup into his brother's mouth, earning a glare.

"Gil, you should sit down. I know that thing hurt you a lot more than you let on. Lay down on the other couch and get some rest," she said. Gilbert made a face. "I'm too awesome to let a little shadow get me down. I don't need any rest!" he said. Sylvia gave him a look. "Gilbert, I can feel how drained you are. Please, just lay down for an hour or two," she said. "Oh, hey Alfred! I thought you were supposed to stay put for once kid," said Gilbert, attempting to change the subject.

Sylvia crossed her arms. "Gilbert, please. On the couch," she said. He grumbled and laid down. "Why don't you yell at your brother for risking his skin and disobeying orders?" he mumbled. She rolled her eyes. "Because he had his heart in the right place. That and I'm sure Arthur and Francis are going to skin him alive when they get home," she said. Alfred swallowed, his twin smirking at him. Alfred glared at his brother and stuffed another spoon of soup into his mouth.

Matthew sputtered and pulled his brother's hand away from his mouth. "Can anyone but Alfred feed me? He won't stop shoving things into my mouth," he said. Gilbert opened his mouth with a smart remark before Sylvia shot him a look. "If it's that big of a deal, I'll stop," said Alfred. Sylvia nodded and started to walk to the kitchen to get Gilbert some food when Gilbert pulled her onto the couch next to him with a smirk.

Sylvia let out a squeak and nuzzled him. "So I'm guessing you're not hungry then?" she asked. Alfred ignored the two love birds, holding up a full spoon of soup up to his brother's face. "Open wide Mattie. The birdie wants back into his nest," said Alfred with a smirk. Matthew gave him an exasperated look. "Alfred, I'm not a baby," he said. "Well you didn't like my other way of feeding you," said Alfred with a grin before sticking the spoon in his twin's open mouth.

Matthew glared at his brother. "I can just feed myself then," said Mattie, reaching for the spoon with a shakey hand. A flash of concern passed through Alfred's face before being easily covered up with a grin. "No deal dude. It's not often that I get to baby my baby brother," teased Alfred before nicely feeding his brother another spoonful of soup. Matthew blinked in surprise but accepted the spoon.

Alfred managed to get Matthew to eat the entire bowl of soup. Mathias walked into the living room. "Hey guys, oh hey Alfred! When did you get here? Too bad you didn't come earlier! We kicked some major butt earlier!" said Mathias. Gilbert chuckled and propped himself up with an elbow. "Mathias, did you have a message or something you were going to give us?" he asked, a wing drapped over Sylvia.

"Huh? Oh right! Yeah, there's an avian headed for the nest. Couldn't see who it was from here but he has like four wings! He should be here in like a few minutes!" said Mathias casually. Sylvia blinked, sitting up. "Four wings? Are you sure?" she asked. Mathias shrugged. "You should come and see this," he said. Sylvia and Gilbert exchaged a look and got up before running to the ledge.

Alfred sat next to his brother on the floor. "Aren't you going to go and see what's going on out there?" asked Matthew. Alfred shook his head. "Nah dude, I just got to see you. Besides, if something goes down I don't want to leave you on your own bro," he said. Matthew poked his brother. "Are you sure you're not the one who is sick or am I just hallucinating?" he asked. Alfred snorted. "It's only cuz heroes look after the sick bro," he said. Matthew rolled his eyes.

 **Still a few more chapters to go. Will** **there be more twists and turns? Or just more fluff? Or, my personal favorite, both?! Read and** **ReviewS appreciated!**


	30. Ch 30: Dr Rhys To The Nest, Dr Rhys

Sylvia squinted as she tried to spy who the avian in the distance was. It did appear that whoever they were had four wings, two on their back and two extending under their arms. Her eyes widened when she realized who it was. "It's Rhys...and he has Mattie's wings!" she said. Gilbert and Mathias cheered, spreading their wings and taking off to help Rhys carry the wings back. Sylvia turned around and raced into the cave where Alfred was apparently filling in Matthew on his fight in the village.

"And I was like 'Crap, I'm out of ammo! But she was like, here you can borrow one of my knives! Dude, Nat's totally awesome! I hope you can meet her soon! Her sister is pretty nice too!'" said Alfred. Matthew had a smirk despite his face looking a bit pale. Sylvia also smirked. "I think you two would be glad to know that Rhys is here and has your wings with him," she said, grinning.

Alfred jumped up. "Really? C'mon Mattie, let's go!" he shouted, making Mattie flinched as his head throbbed. Before Matthew could politely ask his brother to quiet down, Alfred picked up his brother and flew out of the caves. "Alfred!" yelped Matthew, cheeks turning red. Syliva smiled and ran after them, wings fluttering. When they got out to the ledge, Rhys was doubled over with hands on his knees, panting.

"You got the wings? Mattie's doing pretty bad so we should get them back on him right away!" said Alfred. "I'll get the glue," chuckled Gilbert, making Mathias laugh. Rhys made a face. "Give me a moment to catch my breath first. While I'm doing that, place Matthew in the circle and have Sylvia help you set things up. We're lucky that the wings have grown as you two have," said Rhys. Alfres snickered. "Matthew with baby wings…" Matthew's cheeks went bright red.

Sylvia led her brothers over to the circle and had Alfred set Matthew down in the middle. "Where do you want the wings at?" she asked Rhys. Rhys looked up from where he was leaning against a stone. "Place them on either side of him then clear out from the circle. Sylvia, I'm going to need you to help power the circle while I reattach his wings. Alfred, I'm going to need your help lifting the wings as I reattach them," said Rhys. Gilbert and Mathias nodded, putting each wing on the corresponding side of Matthew. "Anything we can do?" asked Gilbert. "Rest," said Sylvia, raising an eyebrow. GIlbert gave her a grin.

"I'll rest when all of this is over liebe," he said. Sylvia rolled her eyes but wrapped a wing around him. Rhys struggled to get up on his feet. "Rhys, are you sure you're up for it right now? You look a bit exhausted," said Tino nicely. Rhys ran a hand through his hair. "I'm fine. I'll be able to finish the spell before it fully drains the five of us since it's already been initiated," he said.

Sylvia backed out of the circle but stayed closed to its boundry lines. "I'm ready when you are Rhys," she said, glancing at him. Rhys nodded and walked inside of the circle, gesturing that Alfred should join him. Alfred ran over to him and gave his twin a smile. "Okay, what do I do?" he asked. Rhys glanced at Matthew. "Matthew, Alfred and I request permission to touch your wings. I apologize for touching them earlier when I carried them back," he said, following procedure. Matthew gave him a weak nod. "Do what you need to do," he said.

Rhys nodded and turned to Alfred. "Hold the wings from the type and help me maneuever them to their proper spots. Follow all my instructions exactly and be ready to do what I need you to do when I need you to do it. We may not have much time once I start chanting the closing spell. That means we may need to hurry. Do you think you can do that? I need you to take this seriously," he said.

Alfred looked at him without humor. "Of course I can. This is my brother we're talking about. We've been hoping he'd grow his wings back all his life. I'm not screwing this up," he said. Rhys smiled. "I know you won't. Let's get your brother his wings back," he said before picking up the part of Matthew's right wing that would connect to his back. Alfred picked up the tip and glanced at Rhys, waiting for instuctions.

"Sylvia, I need you sto start focusing your energy on the circle, channel it into the circle and don't stop until the spell is done. Can you do that?" asked Rhys. Sylvia nodded and crouched down, placing her hand on the outline of the circle. "When do you want me to start powering it?" she asked. "Now. The minute it starts glowing, I can officially start the chant," he said. Sylvia nodded and closed her eyes, concentrating on the ring.

After a few seconds, the outline of the circle starts glowing a bright white. Rhys nodded at Sylvia before starting to chant under his breath, eyes starting to glow. He took the wing and lined it up with the scars on Matthew's back, Alfred working quickly to help align the wing from his end as well. Once the wing was lined up, Rhys started chanting lounder, his left hand glowing. Holding the wing up with his right hand, he placed the left one on the meeting place between the shoulder blade and the wing, the gap between them glowing at the contact.

Rhys held his hand there for a few seconds before pulling his hands away and nodding at Alfred. Alfred's eyes widened when he realized that the wing was now attached. Rhys gestured that Alfred should move to the other side and take his poistion by the left wing. Alfred got up and scrambled to do so, picking up his end of the wing. Rhys nodded and started to do the same as before. Once the left wing was attacked, Rhys gestured that Alfred should move aside.

With Alfred out of the way, Rhys placed both hands on the two joints where the wings meet the back. Closing his eyes, he started chanting more intensly, concentrating on completely healing the wings. Alfred leaned forward, ignoring Mathais and Gilbert's running commentary on what was going on. After a few minutes, Rhys stumbled back, panting. "Sylvia, the spell is done. You can stop powering it," he said. Sylvia nodded and dropped her hand from the outline.

"Matthew, we need to know if it worked. Can you move your wings at all? Can you feel them?" asked Rhys, watching as Alfred gently helped his brother up into a sitting position. Matthew nodded before twitching his wince once. Both brothers stared at each other, stunned. "Try flapping them Mattie," said Alfred quietly. Matthew closed his eyes and concentrated, managing to do so. Alfred let out a shout of joy while his brother started crying, hugging him tight.

Alfred squeezed him, laughing while he pat his brother's back. "Mattie, don't cry. We finally did it!" he said, still laughing. Mattie chocked out a laugh and hugged his brother tighter. "T-Thank you," he mumbles. "Don't thank me. Thank them," said Alfred, still grinning. The two brothers pulled apart, grinning at each other. Matthew weakly got up and hugged Rhys, startling the Welsh. After a split second, Rhys hugged Matthew. "It's alright Matthew. I'm just happy that you've returned to us. No need to thank me," he said when Matthew kept muttering thank you's.

Sylvia squealed and ran forward, bearhugging the two of them. "Group hug!" yelled Alfred before running forward and hugging Rhys as well. Gilbert and Mathias grinned and ran forward to join the hug. Tino smiled. "I wish I had something to record this moment," he said before walking forward and joining the hug. Rhys's face was bright red. "A-Alright...I-I get it. I appreciate the sentiment," he stuttered.

Grinning, everyone pulled apart from the tomato faced Rhys. "When Artie and Francis getting back? They're going to want to see this," said Gilbert. "They were fighting Alecai when I left. They sent me ahead of them just in case that something happened that could have prevented them from being able to reattach the wings. That, and they were afraid that you'd only get sicker while they were gone. I'm sure they're fine," said Rhys.

Sylvia frowned. "I'm going to double check that they're fine," she said. After a few seconds of concentrating, she opened her eyes and let out a sigh of relief. "They're fine. They're in Alfred and Matthew's village. They're on their way. They said Alecai is no longer a problem. We'll be seeing them in a few minutes, depending if Arthur has the energy to fly on his own. At least, that's what Francis says," she said.

"Are they all okay? What happened to Arthur?" asked Matthew, concerned. "Arthur is drained from doing a spell that gave Ivan his wings back. He should be fine once she has some rest," said Sylvia, putting a gentle hand on his shoulder. Mattie relaxed, wings sagging. "That's good to hear...T-Thanks for everything guys. You don't know how much this all means to me…," he said. Sylvia hugged him. "No need to say thank you. You're family. It would have been cruel to not help you," she said.

Matthew hugged her back and Alfred quickly jumped in. "Group hug part two?" he suggested. "No," said Rhys plainly, still blushing. Sylvia smiled. "How does it feel Mattie?" she asked. Matthew blushed. "Uh, um...heavy. I'm not used to having something on my back...and awkward. I feel like I might accidentally knock something over or hit someone with them," he said. Gilbert chuckled. "They'll take some time to get used to I'm guessing," he said. "But don't worry Mattie! I'll be there to help you figure out how to actually use those things," grinned Alfred. Sylvia smirked. "We all will be," she said.

Matthew swallowed. "You guys are going to get a kick out of watching me lear how to fly, aren't you?" he asked. "It's not everyday that you see a fully grown avian learn how to fly! So yes," said Tino honestly. "You know what this calls for? We should crack open a few of those waterskins of mead you and your brother cooked up!" said Mathias, elbowing Gilbert. Gilbert smirked. "Let's wait to see how banged up the others are first. I'm pretty sure they don't want to come home with broken arms and find us flat out drunk," he said.

"Speaking of flat out drunk, look at Artie over there. Looks like he's been hitting the keg a bit," snickered Gilbert, looking up. Sylvia, Matthew, and Alfred blinked before turning around. True to what Gilbert said, Arthur kept losing altitude while flying only to attempt to climb again and lose more altitude. Francis flew over in attempt to help Arthur only to be pushed away and immediately chewed out. The Frenchman scowled before getting into an argument with the Englishman.

Alfred grinned. "Be back in a sec guys," he said before flying up and over Arthur without the Brit noticing. When Arthur had his wings down, Alfred dived down and grabbed him by the armpits. "W-What?! What is the meaning of this! Francis, I told you not to bloddy carry me around like some injured bird!" he fussed, squirming. "Dude, careful otherwise I might drop you. Besides, This way you can see Mattie faster!" said Alfred, flying forward.

Arthur blinked. "Alfred?!" he asked. "The one and only!" came the cheerful reply. "You are in so much trouble young man! You think you can just wander off whenever we give you plain and clear instructions to stay put? I have half a mind to give you such a talking to!" said Arthur, clearly fuming. Alfred smirked. "And I have half a mind to drop you to save me the trouble. Artie, I couldn't just stand around in the village knowing my brother might need me. What kind of brother would I have been?" he said.

"He does have a point lapin. Go easy on the boy," said Francis. "Aye. I don't want to have to hear you two sniveling if you get into a fight. Besides, you would have done the same thing if it was one of us that needed help. Don't get you're trousers in a bunch over it, Arthur," said Allistair. Arthur sighed. "Fine...I'll skip the lecture. But know that I'm still upset….so no more scones for the rest of the week," he said.

Francis chuckled. "Are you sure you're not doing him a favor?" he asked. "Must we have this argument anytime my cooking is brought into subject? I am not that bad of a cook! I'm sure he'll absolutely dread the thought of losing it!" said Arthur. ' _Mon chou, I would lie if you want to avoid his cooking for a week,'_ said Francis, winking at Alfred when Arthur wasn't looking. Alfred immediately groaned. "No Artie, anything but that. I can't bare the thought of not having to eat your...delicious scone-things!" he said.

Arthur grinned. "See that Frog!" he said. Reiley rolled his eyes and landed, opening his arms. "Just drop my wee brother here," he said. Arthur's eyes widened. "Aflred, don't you dare…," he said. Alfred grinned and dropped Arthur into Reiley's arms, resulting in Arthur getting a nuggy and a bear hug. "Let's get ye to bed. Remember how we used to tuck him in Allie-Cat?" Reiley asked Allistair. Allistair hit him upside the head. "Don't call me that," he said.

Rhys cleared his throat. "In case you haven't noticed, Matthew has his wings back," he said. Francis let out a squeal of joy and immediately ran and gave Matthew a bear hug. "Mon petit! I'm so happy for you! How do you feel? Can you feel your wings? Can you move them? Did everything go the way they should have?" he asked, bombarding Matthew with questions and affection. Matthew's face turned red.

"O-Oui frere. Everything's fine. I can move them just fine," said Matthew without thinking, overwhelmed. Francis grinned. "That is just so good to hear! We're going to reach you how to fly as soon as we know you aren't feeling so drained," Francis pulled away from Matthew before giving Rhys a bear hug. "Merci beaucoup! You did it! You have my thanks!" he said. Rhys's face continued to be bright red and he gave his brother's a look of 'help me'.

Francis released Rhys, to his delight, and proceeded to give the other Kirkland brothers a bear hug as well, resulting in three older Kirklands being called tomatoes by Antonio. Francis then proceeded to thank everyone else, promising he'd take Antonio and Gilbert out drinking in thanks. Mathias grinned. "You're going to end up regretting that decision after the first three rounds," he said. Francis chuckled.

 **Got a couple more chapters but we're getting** **pretty close to the end guys. Please let me know if you think this is wrapping up well! Read and Reviews appreciated!**


	31. Chapter 31: Peter Gets a Home

Arthur glanced at his brothers before nodding at them. "Er, I also appreciate the help and efforts you put in helping us with the boys and in reattaching his wings," he said, cheeks going red because he knows the more sentiment he put in his little speach the more his brothers were going to tease him about it for the rest of their lives. Allistair snorted. "Bunny, we're all bonded remember? We know how much you appreciate it. Who do you think you're fooling?" he said.

Arthur sighed and gave his brothers a big hug all while muttering, "If you tease me about this in the future I'm putting a spell on all of your booze to turn it into water or mud," he warned. Allistair snorted, Reiley chuckled, and Rhys smirked. "Ye think we'd really make fun of you after all of this?" said Allistair. Rhys smiled. "He does have a fair point, based on our mutual past. Reiley rolled his eyes. "You know we love ya Artie. Don't make us regret it," he said.

Arthur rolled his eyes and pulled away, crossing his arms. "I don't believe I know whatever you mean," he said. Reiley chuckled and ruffled the hair of his youngest brother. "You'll take us out for pints later. You should go and talk with the boys," he said. Arthur chuckled before nodding and following his brother's advice. Arthur hugged Matthew, startling him slightly. "I'm happy that it all turned out alright lad. You still feeling weak?" he asked.

Matthew nodded with a slight sigh. "A bit...but I feel a lot better now that the spell is over. Just really tired and light headed. It'll probably go away in a couple of days. It's really nothing to worry about. I'm more concerned about you. You looked a bit worse for wear back there," he said. Arthur placed a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry about me. I'll be fine. A good night's rest would fix me right up," he said, lying slightly.

Before Matthew remind him that he knew Arthur was lying, Alfred drapped an arm over their shoulders and wrapped a wing around the both of them. "Hey guys! What's up?" he asked. Matthew smiled. "Just thanking Arthur for everything," he said quietly. Alfred grinned before hugging Arthur in a tight bear hug, making the Englishman red with embarrassment. "Now you know how I feel," muttered Rhys as he walked by carrying a bottle of Arthur's favorite rum.

Arthur managed to wiggle out of the American's embraced, bright red. "Yes, well, you didn't need to be so touchy. I'm happy to help you two with anything. It was nothing to help your brother get his wings back. I just hope you two take your lessons serioiusly," he lectured. Alfred blinks before making a face. "Two? You're making me take lessons too?" he asked, looking disappointed.

"Don't worry lad. We'll teach you how to properly dive bomb someone," said Reiley, ruffling Alfred's hair as he passed by with another bottle of booze from Arthur's stash. Arthur blinked. "Who said you could go through my things?" he asked. "You owe us one, remember?" said Allistair, carrying another bottle and a stack of glasses. Arthur huffs. "I'll be right back boys. I need to keep these gits from finding my good stuff," he said.

Alfred turned to Matthew. "You really doing better Mattie?" he asked softly. Matthew nodded. "Much better Alfred...Thanks for helping me... You didn't let anything get in the way while you were trying to get my wings back...You're a good brother," he said. Alfred grinned. "I'm going to make you write those words into stone someday..But of course Mattie. You would have done the same and probably done it while being less of a jerk," he said.

Matthew smirked. "I guess that's true...I suppose that makes you less of a good brother," he joked. Alfred feigned offense, throwing his hands over his heart. "Mattie, after all I've gone through for you? I even got taken captive," he gasped dramatically, causing Gilbert, Mathias, and Sylvia to look on in alarm before snorting when they realized he was goofing around. Matthew raised an eyebrow and smirked. "From what I sensed, you enjoyed the basement because of that Belarusian girl you like," he said.

Alfred blinked and his cheeks turned a bit red. "L-Liar…" He said. Matthew grinned. "Is that so? I know you thought she was pretty and cool," he said a little louder. Alfred's eyes widened and he quickly jumped to shush his brother. "Dude! Quiet down?!" he whispered loudly. Matthew chuckled. "You do like her! Just admit it! We have the bond remember?" he said. Alfred rubbed his arm. "About that...She and I do too..She healed my injuries after her brother beat me up and took me captive," he said.

Matthew blinked before wincing. "Her brother? Let me guess, it's Ivan? That's gotta be rough Alfie," he said. Alfred sighed. "Yeah...It'll be awkward but at least she's fine. She kicked some major butt during the fight," before he jumped into a description of all the fighting they did. The more he listened, the more Matthew dreaded pulling Alfred back into reality. "That's fine and all Alfie...but did she say she liked you back? Do you think there's any chance you two might see each other again?" he asked.

Alfred's face fell. "...No..she didn't...and I guess I didnt' really see much of that in the bond. She kinda just blocked me out, which sucks because I'm sure she knows how much I like her..," he said. Matthew put a hand on his brother's shoulder. "We can ask Francis what to do...He seems to know a lot about this stuff," he said. Alfred made a face when he heard Sylvia shout that there were more people coming this way. "Woooo! More people to party with!" shouted Gilbert.

They turned to find that the Nordics, Peter, and Ivan and his sisters flying toward them. Alfred grinned and bounced on the ball of his feet, his feet fluttering in excitement. Matthew snorted. "Coming off as a bit obvious there bud," he said. Alfred smacked his brother's shoulder. "Dude, she probabaly already knows how in love you are with her," singsonged Matthew. Francis seemed to magically pop up next to him. "Did I hear that someone was in love with someone here?" he asked.

Sylvia, luckily having been eavesdropping on the twins' conversations, came over and wrapped an arm around her older brother. "Francis, I need your help with something. It seems Arthur believes he can cook some pastries to feed everyone with...and I am sure the kitchen shouldn't smell so smokey," she said cooly. Francis gasped before sprinting away. "Arthur don't you dare touch my kitchen!" he shouted. "I just saved your lives. You can thank me later," she says before walking away from the very confused boys.

"What was that all about?" muttered Matthew. Alfred shrugged. "I'm not sure...but I get the feeling that we are better off not knowing," he said, blinking when he saw Natalia land and look around. He hid behind his brother. "She's here!" he said. Matthew blinked and looked around before glancing at Irunya. "Her? She doesn't seem too bad," he said. "No, that's her older sister," said Alfred. Matthew looked around and jumped when he spotted a girl who was practically glaring at the crowd that had gathered her.

Matthew jumped and shrank back a little. "That's the girl you like? You really know how to pick them Alfie," he said. Alfred flicked the back of his head. "She's not that bad! What I'm afraid of is if she tries to introduce me to her brother. Or worse! What if she's already told Ivan about me and he hates my guts or something? What if she knows I have a crush on her?" he said. Matthew sighed but he couldn't blame Alfie's concerns after seeing what his brother was up against.

He blinked when he saw Nat coming toward them. "Uh Alfie? Your girlfriend is headed this way," he said. Alfred hissed, trying to shush his brother. Matthew grinned, his grin getting wider when Alfred tried to hide under his wings. Natalia cleared her throat when she finally walked over to Matthew. She paused when she looked him in the eyes. "You're not Alfred...You must be his brother. He didn't say you two were twins. I can only tell by the eyes," she said.

Matthew chuckled nervously. "O-Oui...A lot of people tend to mix us up. Don't sweat it," he said. Natalia nodded, a knife from the fight still in her hand. "Is that so? Do I need to worry about any of those jerk shadows showing up?" she asked. "U-Um...N-No..Arthur said when Alecai was killed, they were kept from being able to enter our world unless beckoned," he said. Natalia nodded and hid the knife somewhere in her dress. "I'm looking for your brother Alfred," she said.

Matthew felt someone poke him hard in the back. "You are? What for? He didn't get in trouble again did he?" he asked. Alfred made a face and flicked his brother's wing, causing Matthew to frown. Natalia raised an eyebrow. "He's hiding behind you, isn't he?" she asked. Both boys blinked. "N-No…" stuttered Matthew. Alfred mentally swore. Mattie always was the worse liar out of the two of them.

Natalia simply raised an eyebrow before walking to the otherside of Matthew and smirked at the American crouching behind his brother, hiding in his wings. Alfred peaked out. "H-Hey Nat...Just showing Mattie how to preen his feathers. You know….because he doesn't know how to. I didn't see you fly in…" he said cheerfully, quickly trying to make it look like he was preening his brother.

Natalia smirked. "I know you're hiding from me Alfred. We're bonded remember?" she said. Alfred's eyes widened and he immediately stood up, while trying to subtly poke his brother in the side to get him to save him. "Stop poking your brother," she sighed. Matthew's eyes widened. "You're on your own Alfie. Desole," he said before quickly disappearing from Alfred's side. "Traitor," hissed Alfred.

Natalia watched him with amusement. "I know you like me Alfred. You're not very experienced in blocking your stronger feelings from the bond," she said. Alfred's face went bright red. "Uh...Um...I-I didn't think I was that bad at hiding it…" he managed, not sure what to think. Natalia's smirk grew as she watched him squirm. When she thought he had had enough, she leaned forward and kissed his cheek. "I like you too," she said.

He blinks before his face went bright red. "...I-I like you too...You're pretty," he said. Natalia blushed as well until they both froze at the sound of two men snorting. Alfred looked up and saw that Gilbert and Mathais were doing their best to hold back laughter, laying on their stomachs on the top of the rockside. When they realized Alfred was staring at them in horror, they couldn't help any longer. Gilber and Mathias started cracking up.

"Oh boy. Wait till I tell Francy-Pants and Tonio! Man are they going to get a load of this!" he said. "Gilbert!" hissed Alfred, balling up his fists as his face started burning. Before he could do anything, a knife flew up and sliced off some of Gilbert's hair. Gilbert let out a manly squeal before ducking back. Mathias chuckled. "Big scaredy baby," he said. Another knife flew up and sliced off one of Mathias's spikes. Mathias shrieked like a girl before jumping back as well.

Alfred blinked before turning to Natalia. "Nice aim...Sorry about that," he said. "It's no problem. Give me a few minutes to retrieve my knives and talk to the boys," she said before taking off. Alfred hesitated, not sure if he should go and stop her from doing something violent when someone's hand came down hard on his shoulder before he could take off. Alfred spun around to find Ivan standing there with a scary smile. Alfred swallowed. This was so not the way he was hoping his evening would go.

"I see you enjoy giving my sisters the kisses," said Ivan, nearly crushing his shoulder. _Crap. Mayday. Where's Mattie or anyone when you need them?_ "Um...Considering that was my first time doing that I'd say yeah, it was pretty nice….Look dude, I'm sorry we met the way we did. I didn't know you were being held captive and all of that. So um, no hard feelings?" he asked. The grip on his shoulder tightened.

"While I appreciate you helping my sisters get free, I do not appreciate the possibility of losing my sister now that we're finally out of that hell. Also, if you break my sisters heart, I will break you into many of the tiny pieces. So I would be extremely careful if I were you," said Ivan, the creepy smile on his face never wavering. "Don't worry dude...I don't intend on doing anything to your sister. And, no offense, but she strikes me as the kind of girl who can take care of herself. But thanks for the warning," said Alfred before prying off the hand.

Ivan's eyes narrowed but he immediately brightened up when Natalia landed next to him. She looked between the two of them before scowling at her brother. "You better not be making threats Ivan. Not after everything he's done to help us," she said. Ivan smiled. "Nyet sister. Of course not. I was merely telling Alfred that I will break him into pieces if he hurts you," he said.

Natalia sighed and turned to Alfred. "I'm sorry about that Alfie…" She turned to Ivan. "If he does something warrenting breaking, I will do it first Big Brother," she said, making Alfred shudder. He wasn't afraid of Ivan but he knew Natalia meant business. "If that is what you prefer Little Sister. I'm sure Irunya would like you to tell her all about your kiss though. She looked as if she was going to faint when Gilbert told Francis about it," he said.

Alfred sighed. "Great. Just great. It was bad enough to have them spying on us but they have to go and tell everyone. I'm sorry for anything Francis or Arthur say or do when they find out. Heck, even Mattie will be doing his best to embarrass me," he said, looking up before frowning. Natalia blinked and frowned too. "Guys, I see more people flying this way...We're going to need a lot more food!" he shouted.

Lukas landed first. "Berwald and the kid should be catching up soon," he stated plainly. Tino blinked. "Kid? What kid?" he asked. Allistair and Reiley snickered, pushing Rhys up front and center. "We got a little brother!" exclaimed Reiley. Rhys glanced at Arthur before giving his two brothers an annoyed look. "I know that. Are you two done stating the obvious now? How hammered are you?" he asked.

Allistair rolled his eyes as Emil landed near them. "We're not hammered. Apparently, we have a second little git to look after," he said. "Hey! I don't appreciate you implying that I'm a git!" protested Arthur. "It's not implying if it's true!" retorted Allistair. Arthur glared at his brother, but when Berwald landed the two brothers jumped apart, trying to maintain the impression to the newest addition to the family that they were a functional bunch.

Peter jumped off of Berwald's back and looked confused when Rhys's jaw dropped. "You weren't lying...He even has the family eyebrows," he said. Mathias and Gilbert both snorted, trying not to crack up at that conclusion. "We're lucky we take after Francis's side of the family," muttered Sylvia to her brothers, who were also trying not to crack up. Allistair huffed. "Told you we weren't lying," he said.

Peter regarded his newfound brothers with a look of skepticism. "You are my older brothers? The other Kirklands Lukas was telling me about?" he asked. Rhys nodded. "Aye. The eyebrows don't lie lad," he said with complete seriousness. Gilbert's face turned bright red as doubled over and tried his best to choke back his laughter. Mathais leaned against him, waging the same battle. Alfred was laughing, hand covering his hand. "I-Is this some sort of inside joke we have in this family or is he serious?" he asks.

Francis stood behind him, smirking. "No, they're completely serious. They take their eyebrows seriously. It's a matter of pride," he said. Mathias cracked up, tears going down his face. Gilbert's face was close to turning blue as he did his best to hold back his laughter, trying not to offend his mate's family. "I'll show you~" said Francis with a slight grin, before turning to the Kirklands. "Hairybrows, I need your help with something," he shouted to them.

All five of them, including Peter, immediately turned around to see what he need. When they realized he called them 'Hairybrows', they all scowled. "Oi! The eyebrows are a symbol of British pride and honor!" shouted Reiley, shaking his fist angrily. "That's right! You mess with the eyebrows, you mess with us! Mock us again and we'll tan your hides!" growled Allistair, face as red as his hair.

That was the last straw for Gilbert. He fell to his side, breaking out in laughter. Mathias fell with him, laughing so hard he was snorting at this time. Even the twins were cracking up with Sylvia next to them, covering her mouth as she started laughing. Francis nodded at them, a serious look on his face. "Oui mon amis. I apologize for any offence. I was merely trying to get Arthur's attention," he said.

Allistair narrowed his eyes as he tried to figure out if Francis meant it or was just putting on a show to avoid a fight. "Why are they laughing then?" asked Allistair. "Post-battle hysteria. They've been on edge for days now. They were bound to break at one point in time or another. It's just nerves," Francis said without hesitation or showing any sign that he was lying. Allistair looked at them for a few seconds and slowly nodded. "I suppose you're right," he said. Rhys and Arthur both sighed, arms crossed. "Gits," they muttered.

Allistair rolled his eyes, turning back to Peter. "Well kid, if you want you, and it's your choice, you can join our flock. I just got to warn ye that I haven't taken care of a little one in a while. Because Arthur is still technically part of our flock, you can either stay with Reiley, Rhys, and I or stay with Arthur and his bunch. Our nest isn't that far from here and we tend to visit Arthur often to check up on him," he said, smirking a bit as Arthur's cheeks turned pink.

Peter looked at the two of them hesitantly, his gaze lingering on Arthur longer. "You said that my country wasn't real…" he said. Arthur sighed and got on a knee, patting his hair. "I'm sorry lad...I've been on edge lately and I'm quite exhausted. I snapped at you. It's just that the...territory in question is an old 'fort', if I can even call it that, I made when I was younger…," he said. Peter blinked. "So...you do think it's a country then?" he asked excitedly. Reiley and Allistair groaned.

Tino put a gentle hand on Peter's shoulder. "I think you're more of a…" he looked around,"erm, micro nation. Not quite a nation, but definitely not a coloney, territory, or human," he said nicely. Peter blinked, looking disappointed for a few seconds before immediately perking up. "But that means I _could_ become a nation if I try really hard and get recognized as one, right?" he asked hopefully, jumping up and down. "He reminds me of you," muttered Mattie to his brother, earning a scowl. "What's that supposed to mean?" asked Alfred.

Tino gave the boy a small smile. "Well...I suppose it isn't impossible for that to happen," he said. Peter turned around and glanced at Berwald who nodded, giving him a small smile. Peter turned back to Allistair. "Do I have to choose between you two?" he asked. Alistair and Arthur blinks. "Wot?" asked Arthur. "Wow, this kid is blunt. Are you sure you don't want to be with your own sarcastic kind?" asked Reiley.

Allistair sighed. "No...You don't necessarily have to pick us. But unless you have some other flock in mind, and they accept, you'll be staying with one of us until you can find a flock. We're not going to let one of our own just wander off into the wild and get themselves eaten...unless it's Arthur," he said. Peter hesitated, shuffling his feet. "Well...I don't want to make you mad…" he said. Arthur sighed. "We're not mad...perhaps a bit confused and hurt...but not mad. Did you have someone already in mind, Peter?" he asked.

Peter nodded, wings fluttering nervously. "I want to join Berwald's flock...and Tino's. They're in the same flock right?" he asked. Tino blinked but beemed. "It would have to be approved by our 'leader'," mumbled Lukas. Mathias jumped up from the dogpile he and Gilbert ended up in. "Of course he can join! We'll have so much fun together! We can teach you how to hunt and fly and use you for pranks!" he said.

Berwald looked down at Peter. "Are you sure you want this? You can't change your mind until you're of age," he warned. Peter nodded, foot tracing the edge of the circle. "Y-Yeah...I'm sure. You're nice to me and you protected me from those evil ghost horses. A-And we already have a bond…" he said. Tino's eyes widen. "You two are already bonded?" he asked. Berwald nodded. Tino grinned and hugged Peter. "Well then how can you even think we'd reject you? We're happy to have you!" he said.

Mathias looked at Lukas and Emil, making sure that eveyrone was happy with the decision to adopt Peter into their flock. Emil shrugged. "Whatever. It seems to make Berwald and Tino happy," he said. Lukas nodded. "It'd be nice to have another young one in the flock," he said. Emil made a face. "Waldy?" asked Mathias. Berwald ignored Mathias's butchering of his name. "Of course," was all he said.

Peter glanced up at him. "Soo…What does that mean?" he asked, not sure exactly what was going on. Tino laughed and gently hugged him. "It means we'd love to have you join us," he said. Peter blinked before jumping up and down. "Really?! Do we have to do any magicky stuff to make it official?" he asked excitedly. Berwald smirked. "Just more bonds," he said. Tino nodded. "If you want to join our flock, you have to do a group bond. Then, if you wish, you agree to bond with each of us," he said.

Peter nodded enthusiastically. "I can do that!" he said happily before turning back to his brothers, all four with a long face. Rhys and Arthur were hiding their hurt well, Reiley was fighting tears, and Allistair was chewing his inner cheeck to keep from snapping at the boy. Alfred and Matthew looked on, sad but understanding. "I'd still like to bond with you guys too….We are still brothers right?" he asked.

Allistair's face softened and he started to open his mouth but Reiley jumped forward, eyes watery. "Of course we are lad! We are and will always be blood! Call if you ever need anything!" he said. Allistair snickered at Peter's wide eyes. Rhys was even smirking. "Get off of the boy Reiley. You're scarying the poor lad," said Arthur, rolling his eyes. Reiley released the startled boy, ignoring Berwald's stern look.

"I'm sure what Reiley was trying to say on our behalf is that we would love to bond with you. You didn't even have to ask Peter," said Rhys nicely. Peter nodded and turned to Arthur. "I want him to do it first," he said, making Arthur's eyes widen in surprise. "Awww. Ton frere seems to care for you," said Francis teasingly. Arthur swatted him with a wing before walking over to Peter and getting down on one knee.

"I'd be happy to. Do you know how to do it?" asked Arthur softly. Peter nodded and held up a hand. Arthur smiled and put his hand against his youngest brothers before both closed their eyes. They concentrated until the bond was made, Peter gasping in surprise before jumping forward and hugging Arthur. "I'm sorry for choosing them over you…" he said. Arthur shook his head, hugging the boy back. "No...I didn't realize that you taken to Berwald so quickly and warmly," he said.

Peter smiled and repeated the act with each brother. Reiley was, of course, the one who hugged Peter the hardest, tearing up. "You call us if you ever need us, understand?" he said. Allistair nodded, turning to Berwald and his flock. "If I hear you give my little brother a hard time or hurt him, I'm coming over to knock in some teeth," he threatened. Tino's eyes widened. "We would never hurt a little kid, especially Peter," he said. Rhys quickly jumped in front of Allistair.

"We know that...Allistair just wants to make it clear that we want Peter to be raised in a loving and caring environment and that if we feel that isn't be provided we'll be sure to address and correct the issue," he said, trying to correct the situation. "Aye! We'd be kicking some arses when we 'address' the issues if the time comes!" said Reiley, jumping up from behind Allistair. Rhys immediately facepalmed.

Arthur rolled his eyes. "On second thought, it's probably better for him that he's far away from them so that the oldest ones don't influence him in the wrong way," he said. "What's that supposed to mean?!" asked Allistair, glaring at Arthur. Norway smirked. "I can't guarentee that...but I promise I'll try my best to make sure Mathias doesn't rub off on the kid," he said. "Hey!" said Mathias.

Peter glanced at Lukas, feeling he had the most experience with magic out of his newest flock members. "What do we do now?" he asked. Lukas turned to the others. "Let's accept him officially before we fly home. Would that be okay with you Arthur if we do that here?" he asked. Arthur nodded. "I agree. You never know if something might happen now that we disbanded those creatures," he said.

Lukas nodded and called the other flock members over. A nervous Peter looked up at Berwald and Tino nervously. Lukas gave him a reassuring smile. "Stand there. It's just like bonding...but in a group format. It won't hurt and we'll try our best not to overwhelm you. If you feel uncomfortable at anytime, just let us know okay?" he asked. Peter hesitated before nodding. Lukas smiled before nodding at Mathias. "You want to officiate this?" he asked.

Mathias grinned. "Of course! Okay guys gather around! I want a circle with Peter in the middle," he said. Emil rolled his eyes and got into position with the others. They encircle Peter, whose wings were still fluttering with nerves. Tino gave him a reassuring smile. Mathias smiled. "The fledgling Peter of Sealand asks to join our flock. We have unofficially accepted his request for membership. If there is anyone who oppose or has reason that we should either delay or cancel this ceremony, speak up now," he said, sounding slightly serious.

When no one spoke up, Mathias nodded. "Great! All those who accept Peter's petition may now place a hand on him," he said. Peter blinked as all of the Nordics immediately placed a hand on his shoulders. Mathias grinned. "Since all present members of the flock have show acceptance of the petition, we will now finalize the membership process. Each member will be asked to create a partial bond, or full bond with the consent of the petitioner. We will begin with the one who found him, Berwald," he said in an authoritative voice.

Berwald nodded and closed his eyes, concentrating on Peter. He made sure to send reassuring vibes via their bond. Soon, Tino joined him, Peter's eyes widening at the sudden energy pulsing through him. Lukas jumped in, followed by Emil and finally Mathais. Peter's hair and feathers stood on edge with the energy going through him, fizzling in and through him. It was then that Mathias spoke once more.

"Peter, if you wish to truly join us, you may now close your eyes and send the energy you're feeling back through us. Once you do that, you will have officially joined us," he said. Peter slowly nodded before closing his eyes. He envisioned balling up the electricity inside of him before pushing it back out toward the Nordics. He could hear them all take a deep breath when the energy finally reached him. After a few minutes, the energy seemed to have reached equilibrium between Peter and his new flock.

Mathias opened his eyes before quickly hugging Peter. Norway quickly cleared his throat and Matias jumped back. "Oh yeah...Peter Kirkland, you are now an official member of the Nordics flock. Welcome," he said, looking at Lukas to see if he remembered all of the fancy sounding script he had to speak for this to be official. Lukas smirked. "You can hug him now," he said. Mathais grinned and hugged Peter.

Tino grinned and hugged him as well, Berwald quickly joining him. Lukas and Emil exchanged glances before a small smirk appeared on Lukas's face. "I guess we should jump in too," he said. Emil rolled his eyes but smiled as he joined the group hug, making a face when his brother wrapped an arm around him and said, "Maybe this one will call me Big Brother," in his ear.

After a few seconds, Peter managed to wiggle his way out. Arthur smiled at him. Lukas nodded back before blinking. "More people?" he asks in a flat voice. Everyone looked up to spy Lili, Vasch, Roderich, Elizaveta, and Ludwig. Each one was carrying something different. "I brought some beer...Gilbert said it was an emergency," said Ludwig, frowning as he looked around for said emergency. Gilbert grinned and jumped up, grabbing the water skin. "Wonderbar Luddy! Now we can party!" he exclaimed.

Sylvia smiled slightly. "What emergency would we have needed that for?" she asked curiously. Ludwig gave her a look. "He said it was for cleaning wounds. Your wounds to be specific. I didn't think he would lie about that," he said. Both of them turned to Gilbert, giving him a look. Gilbert blinks before dabbing some of the alcohol onto his shirt. Sylvia blinked when he started cleaning a cut on her arm.

"There! I just saved your life. What if that got infected?" he said, turning to his brother to give him a look. Ludwig just raised an eyebrow before sighing and walking away, leaving the waterskin with his brother. Sylvia smirked and turned to her mate. "You used me to get booze out of your brother?" she said, raising an eyebrow. Gilbert gave her a cocky grin. "Believe it or not, he has a soft spot for you. Says, and I quote, that you keep him from letting me drive him completely insane," he said before kissing her cheek. She smiled. "I guess that's a good enough excuse," she said to him.

"I brought enough flowers to make everyone a flower crown! I also brought some sweet bread!" announced Lili, making Ivan smile. "I brought ingredients for fondue," mumbled Vasch, promptly handing Arthur a pot of cheese to be warmed over a fire. "I brought a stew!" said Elizaveta happily. "And I brought some carefully made pastries to be enjoyed," said Roderich, frowning as Gilbert immediately scooped up a couple of cakes and shoved them into his own mouth.

"Oye amigos! I brought churros and tomatoes. And look who I found headed this way?" said Antoino, flanked by the Italian brothers. "I brought pasta!" announced Feliciano, making Ludwig facepalm. "Whatever. I came for the flipping booze," mutters Lovino, holding a waterskin filled with wine. Yao and his brothers were coming in the distance. "Welp..This is gonna be an awesome party! Okay guys, let's set this up!" whooped Alfred, racing to help people find spots for their dishes.

Francis spotted Arthur, in a corner away from where everyone was eating, drinking, and having fun. "You alright mon cher?" he asked. "I'm fine...Just a bit...overwhelmed. I can't believe all of this," said Arthur. Francis raised an eyebrow. "How much have you had to drink lapin? You usually only get reflective when drunk," he said. Arthur shook his head. "I'm not drunk! I can hold my own just fine!" he said, frowning.

"Then what is it Arthur? It's obvious that something is bothering you," Francis said. Arthur sighed. "It's just...so hard to take in the fact that the boys are back. They're back and with us...but older. What if they don't want to stay? What if they choose, like Peter did, which is entirely other thing, to leave? We went through all of that...it almost feels too easy. There has to be a catch somewhere," he said.

Francis blinked before laughing at him. Arthur blinked before scowling at Francis. "What?" he asked. "Don't tempt fate. You got them back. We got them back. If they leave, it'll be on their own terms and we'll know where they are and how they're doing. They won't be completely gone. Not even Peter is completely gone. Sure, we have to get used to the idea that we won't be having them as little boys again...but think of it this way. Do you really think you could handle them so young at your age now?" he asked.

Arthur scowls at Francis. "You're older than I am you tosser!" he said. Francis grinned before ruffling Arthur's hair. "See? You wouldn't have the patience for it. Think of this as a gift. We no longer have to worry about them going through a rebellious stage," he said. Arthur sighed, glancing at Alfred. "I hope you're right about that...though I don't believe they changed that much from how they were when they were little," said Arthur.

Francis smiled nostalgically. "Oui. Matthew is still shy, obedient, and desperate to please. Alfred is still loud, friendly, stubborn, and has that sunny personality. But I wouldn't want that to change about them. I think it would break my heart if that did change," he said. Arthur smiled softly. "For once we're in agreement. It's good to have them back," he said. Francis smiled and elbowed the Englishman. "Let's go enjoy them now that we finally can. It's a party non?" he said. Arthur smiled and followed him to the crowd, happy to have his family together.

 **One more** **official chapter to go! Lemme know what you think! Read and Reviews appreciated**


	32. Ch 32: Billy Mays here with an Epilogue

**I don't own Billy Mays...mostly because he's dead. Don't sue me.**

 **Some time later…..**

"C'mon Alfred. You can do better than that. Try to pull yourself out of another dive," argued Gilbert to a tired and sweaty American. "Why did I ask you to teach me how to fly again?" asked Alfred between gasps. He had been "training" every day, dawn to dusk, for about a week now during Gilbert and Sylvia's visit. "Because I am awesome and you wanted me to teach you mein sweet moves," announced Gilbert. Alfred mumbled something not so nice about Gilbert's sweet moves before repeating the exercise Gilbert had just shown him.

Matthew was panting, but for different reasons than Alfred. Unlike his twin, he hadn't advanced to learning any cool tricks. Right now, he was still trying to get used to having wings, much less flying with them. Sylvia gave him a kind smile, finally able to take to the sky again now that her wing had healed up during the past few months. "Don't worry Mathieu. It'll take some time getting used to. Soon enough, you'll be getting tormented by Gilbert's bootcamp too," she said.

Matthew snorted, despite panting from the effort of keeping himself up in the air. "At least I have the nice instructor. I'm sure Francis and Arthur appreciate a break from having to teach us such basic things," he said. Sylvia smiled. "I'm sure they don't mind teaching you. I don't. You're doing just fine by the way. I wasn't lying when I said you'll be doing more advanced exercises pretty soon," she said.

Gilbert grinned, looking down at where the Canadian was huffing as he practiced landing. "Ja. Soon you'll be having to do pushups every morning before flight practice," he said. "What good does that even do? I fly with my wings not my arms!" panted Alfred, flying back up to Gilbert after barely managing to pull himself out of a dive. "Because then you will develop awesome muscles like mein!" shouted Gilbert.

"My muscles are already awesome," mutters Alfred. "Babe, are my muscles awesome?" shouted Gilbert. Sylvia pretended not to hear him, opting instead to wrap an arm around her brother and show him how to level out so he didn't flail so much while flying. Matthew thanked her, cheeks pink from embarrasssment. Gilbert smirked, recognizing that Syl was ignoring to avoid being teased by him. "Ja, your muscles are okay but with muscles like mein girls will be all over you. You should see how much Syl gushes over my abs," he said loudly.

Alfred smirked when he saw Gilbert glance at his sister to see if his comment had any effects. Sylvia turned away but he saw a flash of pink cheeks before she did so. Gilbert grinned. Alfred raises and eyebrow. "Doesn't look like she's gushing much now, he said. Gilbert, glancing once more at Sylvia, shrugged. "When you have a mate, you'll know how it is. She'll think everything about you is awesome. This one time she-" he yelped when Sylvia flew up at him.

"No embarrassing stories!" she shouted, chasing after her mate that had dived to avoid her. With difficulty, Matthew managed to fly up by Alfred. "Aw, you're almost blushing as hard as that one time you accidentally told me you 'like my face,'" teased Gilbert. Sylvia let out a frustrated groan and continued chasing him. "That's gonna be you and Nat someday," muttered Mattie. Alfred's face turned bright red. "Sh-Shut up...M-Maybe. I don't know!" he stuttered, causing his twin to laugh.

Gilbert flew up to the boys, having lost Sylvia during a second dive when she tired out. "What's so funny?" asked Gilbert, face red. "Alfred's embarrassed to admit how much he likes Nat. Any mention of her makes his face bright red," said Matthew. "Does not!" hissed Alfred, face bright red. "Besides! You have a huge crush on Inrunya!" retorted Alfred, this time Matthew being the twin that goes red.

"You do? Hmm...I guess that was who Runny was talking about. She was asking Sylvia advice on how to ask a boy that was younger than her out before getting upset and saying she was too shy or something like that. I doubt she'd go for Alfred, since he's kinda dating her sister. And the only other person I could think of other than you two that could be considered 'young' is Peter and I don't think she'd go for that. All of us avians are old as dirt," said the Prussian.

Before Matthew could even speak up, and before Alfred could tease him about his flustered blush, Sylvia came up behind Gilbert and grabbed him from behind. Gilbert let out a manly squeal, forgetting to flap for a second before he caught himself. "Battled trained instincts. Isn't what you usually brag?" she said teasingly, drapping her arms around his shoulders.

Gilbert's cheeks turned pink. "You knew I was paying attention!" he accusses. "I know you're too busy gossiping to pay attention," she corrected. The boys refused to look at her, Alfred starting to whistle. "I know you guys are...Doesn't matter. I was going to tell Mattie, in private….Alfred, Gilbert, if you tease Irunya I'm coming for you. Alfred, I'm sure Nat would be upset too," she said. Alfred swallowed. "Yep. Got it. No one finds out until Mattie asks her out," he said.

"As for you Gilbert…" said Sylvia in a menancing voice. Gilbert yelped and ducked down underneath her. She laughed before flying after him. Alfred turned to Matthew. "Dude, so you do like Irunya? Why haven't you talked to her? I'm sure she'd be really nice about it," he said. Matthew's cheeks turned a bit pink but he sighed. "I'm just a little nervous...That and a lot's been going on with all these flying lessons and adjusting to having wings.." he said. Alfred grinned, throwing an arm around his brother's shoulders as they watched Gilbert let out a manly shriek when Sylvia finally caught up to him.

"But it's all been good things! I mean, it is kinda different being out of the village and staying with Francis and Arthur, kinda hard to be honest, but hey! At least we don't have to worry about fitting in or having our family die off while we don't age a bit! Plus, Greg declared us as heroes and said that we can come back to visit and stay with him whenever! That and Nat comes and visits often...though I still don't know how to think about her brother," said Alfred excitedly.

Matthew nods, smiling slightly. "I like Arthur and Francis...and having a big family. I like Arthur's older brothers even if he doesn't get along with them. I like not having to worry about you fitting in or showing up to rescue me from dangling off the side of the cliff in time," said Matthew. Alfred poked him. "Admit it. The best thing of all this is the view from up here and feeling the wind under your wings," he teased.

Matthew shook his head, smirking a bit when he spotted his brother's confused look. "That's nice and all...and I would absolutely miss it after all the trouble we went through to get my wings back….but it's not the best thing about all of this," he said. Alfred frowned. "Then what is dude?" he asked. Matthew watched where Gilbert had caught Sylvia and was kissing her cheek, Sylvia blushing and trying to pout.

"The best thing is that...we have a real family now. Real friends. I know we have our family in the village...but that's different. Their lives are so short compared to ours that...we never really got to grow up with them around or enjoy them the way they enjoyed each other," said Matthew. Alfred leaned back slowly, taking what Matthew said into full consideration, before nodding

"You're right. That is the best thing. For once, we don't have to plan ahead on who gets to break the news to the newest generation that we're immortal or how to feel about funerals or sicknesses. We know that we have Francis, Arthur, Syl, Gil, and the others around for, if everything goes well, our entire lives. We can pretty much annoy Arthur and worry Francis for an eternity as long as we don't screw up too bad," said Alfred, grinning at the end.

"I heard that and may I just say that I am pleased to hear that you are aware of how annoying you are. Though, I'm a bit wary now that it seems like you do it on purpose," said a voice behind him. They turned around to find Arthur and Francis, who was being held back with one arm of the Brit, hovering behind them. Alfred grinned. "Hey, if that's what you think, that's what you think. I'm not gonna try to convince you one way or the other," he said.

"'Going to'. Anyways, it does warm my heart to hear that you two...actually enjoy being here. Part of me was worried that after the 'honeymoon' time was over that you'd get sick of the two of us bickering," said Arthur. "And it certainly puts a smile on my face to hear that as well! Arthur! Release me so I can show these boys some affection!" demanded the Frenchman. Arthur sighed and moved his arm. "Just don't spoil them too much," he mutters as Francis zipped forward to envelop the two in a bear hug.

"You two are always welcomed here. I don't know what we would do without you at this point! The nest would feel so empty. Believe it or not, Arthur feels the same way even if he is too emotionally stifled to actually come out and say it," said Francis, nuzzling his two 'fledglings.' Sylvia and Gilbert flew up to see what the meeting was all about.

"Hey! Last one to the nest has to eat one of Arthur's scones!" teased Gilbert. Everyone froze before making a maddash to the nest. "Wankers! Don't use my cooking as a punishment!" shouted Arthur before following after them.

 **And thus we close our final chapter...or have we? Is** **there** **possibly a sequel to be found? Probably not until I have inspiration for one. Let me know if you guys have any ideas! Reviews welcome!**


	33. Chapter 33: Billy Mays Here With News

**So instead of boring everyone by adding this to the end of my chapter, which who really ever reads those notes? I've decided to thank readers and include announcements for new stories here.**

Thank You:

Thanks to GrayLady1575, Sapphire Roz, DragonEclipse, AngelDounut, Passiontherainwing, Thequietgermanfrau, and everyone else who read and reviewed! A special shoutout to fluffnights who was a good sport with me messing with their feelings at major cliffhangers and constantly giving me feedback. Every review is greatly appreciated and let's me know that I actually have an audience reading these things.

 **Up And Coming Stars:**

Vinland's Legacy: Vinland, the newest Norwegian settlement, has been exploring the land around her home and finds that she and the Nordics are not alone. This fact is something that Native America is not happy about. Native America is suspicious of the new and different people she finds on her shores. When the spirits give her a menacingly vague prophecy, Native America finds herself trusting the Nordics less and less. Vinland on the other hand, is dragged into a prophecy that she never wanted, her destiny as a someday country drastically changing. All the Nordics can do is look in horror.

Hidden Hero: A Legacy Sequel: Alfred was told never to trust the European countries...but he never thought it would come to this. With everyone he knows and cares about dragging him into a reality of flame and smoke, Alfred needs to hide his magic, his existence, in order to survive. But when a threat emerges, will Alfred choose to save his own skin or save his family? How long can he keep his secrets?

Knight in Burnt Armor: Years ago, Gilbert killed the wrong dragon and witch at the wrong time. Now the teutonic knight is destined to live the rest of his life, killing innocent bystanders, until someone can finally break the curse by calming his flame. Sylvia, the leader of the local witch clan, forced to be Gilbert's next sacrifice after digging too deep into the dragon clan's scheme to nab power. Will she live to warn the rest of the magic realm? (Will be published depending on interest. Please let me know if this sounds like something you'd like to read.)

 **Thanks again so much guys for your support! Please continue to read and review! It really helps me keep my work in check and helps me stay motivated to write!**


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